Nymph vs Wolf
by Queriusole
Summary: Lupin, Tonks, Black. Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin learn to work together despite the fact they are each a thorn in the other's side. Another take on Book 5. Minor edits.
1. Fairy Floss Torpedo

Summary: Lupin, Tonks, Black. The Auror, Nymphadora Tonks keeps running into the DADA Professor, Remus Lupin. Literally.

Author Notes: A fresh look at Remus and Nymphadora to fit Book 6 canon. Both characters are a bit more tentative and less secure about themselves than in my previous stories, this is a completely different story. Occurs during Order of the Phoenix at the beginning of the summer when the Order is being re-established. This relies on the physical features of Lupin as presented in the PoA movie. Minor edits completed March 2007.

Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling. The story was written for the pleasure of playing with her characters.

**NYMPH vs WOLF**  
_**Fairy-Floss Torpedo**_

_The Randy Boar_

The young woman managed to dodge the groping hands as she served her customers at the Randy Boar. The men who frequented the establishment often forgot the difference between the dancers and servers--or at least, the services the servers were willing to provide.

"There you go," she said as she managed to place the two mugs on the table with only a bit of sloshing. She failed to twist out of the way before her bum got slapped, but managed to accidentally step on the perpetrator's foot. It would cost her a tip, but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

The young blonde waitress with the heart-shaped face smiled at the men at this table while surreptitiously watching the red head sitting at the corner table. Emory Dimsdale was a regular and the sole reason the Auror was spending her evenings playing serving wench at a Muggle bar.

The wizard was being monitored because he was to receive a special parcel. The Aurors knew the exchange would take place at the Randy Boar, but not the day, hence, Nymphadora Tonks had taken the job.

"How about two pints over here, darlin'? My business associate just walked in the door." The rather pompous announcement came from the adjacent table.

The woman rolled her eyes before turning to acknowledge the customer. Mundungus Fletcher was pestilence embodied in human form as far as she was concerned. Tonks couldn't wait to finish her present assignment just to be able to arrest that thief. She knew he wasn't a Muggle, but a dirty dealing Wizard with a knack for passing questionable goods to unsuspecting Muggles. But in truth, it was his constant attempts to grope her that spurred her motivation to drag him in. The men who kept his company were no better.

Tonight Fletcher was being joined by a tall, shabbily dressed man, but with a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee. When she returned with the pints, Tonks noted the old scars on his face and the long, elegant hand that reached for the mug. She smiled tightly at the pair as she tilted away from Fletcher's hands and slammed down the other mug on his fingers on the table.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she murmured charmingly before she moved away to monitor her target again.

Fletcher shook his hand at the pain. "These young girls ain't used to a grown man's ardour."

"Did you say ardour or odor?" asked Remus Lupin before taking a sip from his mug.

Fletcher sputtered into his drink and mumbled something about having had a bath just two days ago. The barmaid cast a sideward glance to indicate she'd heard Lupin before she gave her attention to her other customers.

Lupin was quite surprised to see a familiar sparkle in her eyes that for some reason evoked the phrase water nymph, but he let the thought drift as he turned to the business at hand. "I'm not here to discuss barmaids with you, Dung. I've been given the duty to persuade you..."

The men were deep in conversation when Tonks next checked them. Since Fletcher's companion wasn't the usual boisterous git who turned up, she felt safer standing next to him as she asked, "One more round?"

"Now that's a fine idea," agreed Fletcher. "But why don't you join us for a bit? Hard working girl like you needs a break."

Fletcher gave her his best smile, but all Tonks could think of was Dung. "The boss wouldn't like that, but I'll bring you another round."

"Don't bother for me, I need to be going," said the tall man as he rose. "I'll see you tomorrow, Dung."

As he stood up, Tonks turned to go to the bar when she felt a pinch on her bum as the tall man walked behind her. She froze with a gasp, then turned to confront the man, but his long stride had already taken him to the door.

A muffled guffaw shifted her attention back to Fletcher, but the man just winked at her and nodded sagely, "It's always the quiet ones, ain't it?"

The young woman tossed her head in reproof and took her time about bringing his pint. Fletcher shrugged. It had been worth it to cast the arm extension spell and get Lupin blamed for the pinch. It wasn't like the Professor and the barmaid were likely to cross paths again.

For his part, Lupin was oblivious about the events that had occurred at his departure. As he walked back to Grimmauld Place, he had a sense of success at having persuaded Fletcher to join the Order the following night.

But his thoughts wandered back to the blonde barmaid. He had been impressed by the feminine brutality wreaked on the digits of the men who were foolish enough to invade her personal space. Not a nymph at all, but a valkyrie, and he was glad not to have been on the receiving end of her wrath. Still, he had to admire her spirit.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Number Twelve Grimmauld Place_

Lupin was walking down the steps to the kitchen at number twelve Grimmauld Place with his nose in a book. There was a detail about the ritual used in Voldemort's return he wanted to investigate prior to the Order meeting this evening. He was thus fully absorbed in the task as he walked down the stairs when he suddenly felt the blunt force striking his mid-section.

The small book flew out of his hands as Lupin registered that he had been rammed by a very pink, fairy-floss torpedo. But before he could carry his thoughts further, he was tripped from behind by Kreacher who made his escape cackling in glee.

The only thing louder were the curses Sirius Black directed at the house elf. "...dirty little rat! Stay away from Lupin, you vermin..."

As Lupin fell backwards onto the stairs, he saw his book arching into the air. In the meantime, his body was cushioning the fall of the fairy-floss torpedo. But the perky, padded bits made Lupin realize that the projectile was actually a head attached to a very curvy, feminine body.

"Oof." Yes, it was the most intelligent thing he could say at the moment.

He supposed any gratitude for taking the brunt of the impact evaporated as soon as his book slapped the woman's posterior sharply as it fell.

_Slap!_

"Eek!" Obviously the woman had no better control of her verbal skills than he did, but she had excellent control of her hand. She responded automatically to being spanked by the strange man.

_Slap!_

"Keep your filthy hands off my bum!" she insisted as she loomed over him, but as their gaze met, Lupin recognized the barmaid even as she confirmed she was in the clutches of a pervert.

"You!" The word escaped them simultaneously.

At that point, Sirius, who was watching the entertaining events unfold, began laughing at the misunderstanding, but managed to say, "He didn't spank you, the book did."

The woman, who was now straddling Lupin, looked around in surprise and saw the small book lying on the stairs. She then stared at Lupin in wide-eyed chagrin while her face became as pink as her hair. Lupin brought himself up, firmly grabbed her arms above her elbows and lifted her off of him as he stood. She was dangling like a rag doll in his hands.

"Remember, constant vigilance is always required, especially when you're rushing to the loo," chastised Alastor Moody from the kitchen.

The woman craned her neck to grunt her acknowledgment at Moody while Lupin turned to place her carefully on an upper step.

"Are you all right, Miss?" asked Lupin as he absently rubbed at his left cheek. The barmaid was petite, but packed quite a wallop. Definitely a valkyrie and not a nymph. Given her presence here, she had to be a new recruit for the Order, and, given the change in appearance, he'd bet she was the metamorphmagus.

"Oh, Merlin! I'm, yeah, not fine, but you're, you're, uh--I was just, look, I'm dead clumsy but rarely lethal," said the blushing woman. Then she winced and added, "Except for the slap."

"Don't fret about it; he's had worse days," assured the dark haired man standing behind her on the stairs. She turned her head to him, so he continued with introductions. "I'm Sirius Black--

"Black? But you're, you're--"

"Your host as well as a faux fugitive. Your victim is Remus Lupin, resident werewolf, but don't let that fool you." Sirius leaned in to whisper loudly in her ear. "He's an affirmed bookworm."

The woman moved back from the notorious fugitive and kept telling herself that Sirius Black was an innocent man. As she made her exit up the stairs, she could only think to mutter, "Tonks."

"You're welcome," called Sirius as she disappeared from view.

"She meant her name is Tonks; she prefers to go by her surname,"explained Moody as he stomped toward the stairs.

"Tonks? Is she Andi's daughter? Andromeda Tonks, I mean?" asked Sirius as he glanced back up the stairway. At Moody's nod he added, "Then she's another cousin, and much preferable to Draco Malfoy. We never got a chance to meet before. Hm, I really should have read the Order registry."

"Yes, you should have," admonished Lupin. He then recited the facts he remembered from the roster as he picked up his book. "Nymphadora Tonks, daughter of Andromeda and Ted Tonks, Auror, metamorphamagus, and--"

"Defender of her derriere. She's usually not a violent lass, but she just finished an assignment playing barmaid at a Muggle bar. Caught the villains red-handed last night," added Moody as he raised his flask for a quick drink. "And now she's left a mark on you, Lupin."

"That explains it. I met Mundungus Fletcher at the Randy Boar last night," sighed Lupin. "She probably thinks I'm some old lecher."

"We Blacks are just are a bit impulsive, I'm sure she'll have you pegged as harmless in no time," defended Sirius. He then turned to Moody and asked, "I thought you weren't coming until later?"

"It was on account of the lass. I told her the true story of Sirius Black since she's an Auror. Couldn't have her arresting the person who owns Order headquarters, eh? After that, Tonks was anxious to see the rest of the registry of the Order members. She was surprised to find Mundungus Fletcher on the roster," explained Moody. "I thought she'd outgrown her clumsiness. Didn't expect to see her fall for Lupin."

"So when's the wedding, Remus?" teased Sirius as he deliberately misinterpreted Moody. "Fate seems to have thrown you together."

"It wasn't fate; it was a malevolent house elf," replied Lupin as he finally grimaced. He was now feeling the sting of the slap as well as the pain from the edge of a step that had jabbed his back. "Now if you'll excuse me, this old wolf is going back up to his room to avoid another assault from the valkyrie before dinner."

- - - - - - - -

At the moment the valkyrie was splashing water on her face and mumbling to herself. "Sirius Black is innocent, Sirius Black is innocent, Sirius Black--should have been the one I slapped! I should have arrested him for making Mum cry all those years ago."

She looked in the mirror and pointed an accusing finger at her reflection.

"But, no, here you are, a fully trained Auror, and what do you do? Attack a completely innocent--bookworm!"

Her reflection shook her head. "Lupin was at the bar with Dung! He pinched you then."

Tonks tapped her forehead against the glass of the mirror. "No, I bet Dung used magic to pinch me the other night, not Lupin. Thieves always master extension spells."

"Still, he is a werewolf," suggested her reflection.

Tonks frowned as she looked in the mirror. "So he's a predator like those vermin at the Randy Boar?"

The reflection wrinkled her nose and said, "He wasn't in a hurry to untangle himself just now."

"And then he dangles me like some little girl! Merlin! I should have extended my legs. Why wasn't I thinking!" she muttered as she looked at herself one last time.

The young Auror then raked her hands through her already spiky hair. "This is just perfect! Clumsy git meets lecherous, lanky lycanthrope. Lupin probably thinks--well, who cares what he thinks. He'll probably avoid me as if I were a Dementor."

As soon as she was on her way down the stairs from the loo on the second floor, she saw Lupin coming up the stairs. They both stopped for a moment, then cautiously moved forward. But their meeting was inevitable given the width of the stairs, so Lupin moved closer to the wall while Tonks leaned toward the railing. But when her gaze was at the level of his face, she felt the guilt flooding her.

"Er, wait," she said as she reached out a hand. She wasn't sure exactly what to call him, but she knew she should set things to right. He was innocent of having perpetrated tonight's injury to her bottom.

Lupin paused and waited patiently for her to continue. He did not like making a poor impression at a first meeting; he had enough things going against him as it was. He also had to admit his male ego was a bit dented at having a young woman think of him as a doddering, old lecher who couldn't keep his hands to himself.

To his credit, Lupin didn't flinch when Tonks slowly brought her hand up to his cheek. "I should at least get rid of that."

Her right hand covered the exact imprint her hand had left on his face. To Lupin everything then seemed to move in slow motion. He no longer felt the sting; just the warmth of her palm and the soft texture of her fingers. He could even capture the soft floral scent from her wrist.

Her attention was completely fixed on her task as she brought her wand up to tap the hand that covered his cheek, but Lupin could see that intense expression that indicated she was casting a healing spell. Her dark eyes were bright with energy, just like the intense look Sirius would get when he was focused on a goal. When she completed her task, Lupin was finally graced with her smile.

Lupin was dumbfounded by her show of compassion toward him. Between his lycanthropy and association with Mundungus Fletcher, she had every reason to avoid him. His already hoarse voice came out sounding harsh when he said, "That wasn't necessary."

The smile immediately fell from the young woman's face and she abruptly moved her hand. "You're right; you deserved the slap for last night."

Then she slid and stumbled the rest of the way down the stairs before disappearing from view.

Lupin stood there for a moment as he realized he had sounded ungrateful, but then he rubbed his forehead and wondered aloud, "What does she think I did to her last night?"

He walked to his room as he made up his mind to avoid putting Tonks in any more awkward situations with him. The imp in him was considering appropriate retaliation for the slap in the face, but Lupin dampened the marauding spirit that would lead him astray. Tonks didn't need to be hassled; she had many new people to meet tonight and a metamorphmagus could be very valuable to the Order.

"Nymphadora Tonks," he said softly as he brought his hand up to his cheek. He did not doubt that the imprint of her hand was physically gone, but it had been replaced by a very evocative memory.

- - - - - - - - - -

"I'll help, Molly. What do you need?" asked Tonks eagerly as she joined the Weasley matriarch in the kitchen at a quarter to seven o'clock. She wanted to make a good impression on the Order members, especially anyone who could cook such mouth-watering dishes.

"Just send those bowls and platters to the table for our buffet, dear," called Molly.

Tonks waved her wand, but the bowls merely sat spinning in place. She darted a quick glance to Molly and was relieved she hadn't noticed. In the meantime, Tonks completely missed the quiet entry of the man into the kitchen, once again bravely foraging for a cup of tea. She waved her wand again, but decided to put a bit more oomph into the spell.

"Oomph." The grunt was delivered by a masculine voice.

The man beneath the bowl now dripping soggy, green goo down his hair was quite familiar by now. Tonks would have recognized her victim just from his height.

"Goodness me! How did you..?" Molly let her voice fall off as she noticed Tonks turning pink from the edge of her neck to the roots of her already pink hair. Molly waved her wand efficiently to clean the mess off of Lupin. The bowl and mushy peas disappeared with a slurping sound.

"Thank you, Molly, and I must say the peas are quite delicious," offered Lupin calmly, "although I just came down for some tea."

"I'll get you a cup, Professor, uh, Remus," assured Molly as she turned around again biting back a laugh. The incident reminded her of the first time she had cooked for Arthur.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's my fault. I'll just carry the bowls over, Molly," began Tonks.

"Let me help you," said Lupin with a note of command in his voice as he moved forward.

"No, I can--" Tonks stopped as Lupin pulled out a crisp handkerchief and wiped the very tip of her nose. He merely showed her the dot of green goo now soiling the cloth.

"Splattered a bit," said Lupin as he just flicked the edge of his finger against the cloth to make the spot disappear. "Nor does the color go well with pink."

Tonks felt like a clumsy schoolgirl again, but managed to mutter thanks as she turned to carefully carry the bowls and platters to the table.

Lupin accepted his cup of tea, but before heading back up the stairs, he glanced quickly at Tonks. She looked up at him at the same time, then had to juggle a bowl filled with baked potatoes. He left quickly as she muttered, "Ooo, hot, hot, hot..."

Although he had not cast a spell to upset the potatoes, he couldn't prevent the smirk on his lips as he considered there was some justice in the world. Then he grimaced. He hated peas with a passion!

- - - - - - - - -

The members of the Order of the Phoenix arrived to a scrumptious buffet in the kitchen as they awaited the arrival of Albus Dumbledore. Lupin accosted Mundungus Fletcher as soon as the thief arrived and asked, "Recognize anyone here?"

Fletcher looked around and said, "Well, yeah, some."

"What about the young lady over there?" asked Lupin as he jerked his head in Tonks' direction. She was currently facing Fletcher's field of view as she greeted Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Hm, nah, can't place her," began Fletcher. Then Tonks turned around and bent over to snag a morsel off the buffet. "Er, wait, it's coming to me now."

Lupin murmured, "Think about the Randy Boar."

"That's it. She's the barmaid! But what has she done to her hair?"

"That's not important. I want to know what you did to her last night."

"Me? Why, Professor, I was a perfect gentleman, I was."

"You're lying," said Lupin simply.

"Well, I might have been practicing a spell or two," sniffed Fletcher as he saw the glimmer of a blaze in Lupin's eyes. He was reminded that the mild mannered Professor was in fact a werewolf. "You know, keeping up my skills with an arm extension. Might've tweaked the girl by accident."

"Dung, don't ever use me as a decoy again or I'll set that valkyrie on you when I'm done with you," promised Lupin.

Fletcher laughed a bit anxiously, then said, "Oh, would you look there. Daedelus Diggle!"

Lupin shook his head, but Bill Weasley had entered. The Professor made his way over to see if his advice about a cursed seal had been fruitful. At the same time, Tonks also noticed that Bill had made his appearance. She smiled and moved toward him in relief. At least there was one more person more her age in the Order.

"Wotcher, Bill," said Tonks as she reached him just a moment before Lupin also converged on him.

Bill smiled at her, but clearly failed to place her face. "Uh, hello?"

"Tonks," she reminded. One would not have thought they had spent seven years together at the same school.

"Right, I remember," said Bill with another easy smile. "You're, uh, Ninny, uh, Nindorcas--"

"Nymphadora," offered Lupin, with the proper emphasis on the second syllable.

"But I never use my first name. It was always just Tonks," asserted the young Auror with a stern look toward Lupin indicating her displeasure at having her first name spoken.

Bill nodded, a bit embarrassed that he could not remember the young woman. His interests were always drawn to the pretty, feminine girls, not the tomboys. He definitely remembered that Tonks was one of the latter. Then he snapped his fingers, "You were in Hufflepuff."

"Actually, I was Ravenclaw," said Tonks with a quick nod, but her shoulders were beginning to slump a little.

"Tonks is an Auror now," said Lupin as he watched her begin to squirm. It was clear that Bill barely recognized her and the Professor was feeling a bit of empathy as a result.

"How nice," said Bill a bit awkwardly. He cleared his throat and said, "Oh, Remus, I meant to tell you that your idea worked on that stubborn ward..."

Tonks found that it was time to drift away as the men became engaged in their conversation. She swallowed her disappointment at losing an opportunity to make a good impression on an old classmate. If only Lupin hadn't been around! But she wasn't surprised that Bill failed to remember her. They didn't run in the same crowd at all back at Hogwarts. Bill had been Gryffindor's golden boy and she had been, well, the Ravenclaw oddball.

She shrugged off the incident and put on a bright smile as she spoke to McGonagall and avoided Snape's sneer. Then she made the mistake of asking Sturgis Podmore if he'd come across any interesting specimens in his line of work lately. Tonks was trying to prevent a yawn as Podmore used his hands to describe the capillary system of some rare plant.

When Lupin noticed that Tonks was being held hostage by the herbologist, he walked behind Sirius, who was busy flirting with Emmeline Vance, and said, "Rescue Tonks from the horrors of herbology, would you?"

"Tonks, come over here," called Sirius when he turned to find his relative. His voice was boisterous as he bragged, "And here's my enchanting little cousin who has already added life to this grim, old place. Not only is she an Auror, she's a metamorphmagus. Now this is a rare gem, indeed, and a great asset to the Order."

"She's a metamorphmagus?" asked Bill as he turned to Lupin again. "I just thought she had odd tastes in hairstyles. Now, Fleur Delacour, there's a lovely girl..."

Lupin was regaled with the wonders of Fleur for the next few minutes, but kept an eye on Tonks' progress. Having Sirius as her champion was an effective way to introduce her to the Order. No one could ignore the man for good or ill.

With Sirius herding her through the old and new members of the Order, Tonks began to regain her confidence and an appreciation for the Black charm. Her clumsiness was kept to a minimum until she conveniently elbowed Mundungus Fletcher as he took a sip of butterbeer. She knew from personal experience that snorting the concoction up one's nose was a vile experience, but he deserved it for his incessant attempts to goose her.

Lupin, of course, had noticed her maneuver. She frowned when she met his gaze yet again, but managed to keep herself from sticking out her tongue at him. That would truly be childish. She made up her mind, yet again, to avoid the Professor entirely, but then Dumbledore arrived and ruined her plans.

The meeting took a serious tone as the new members were inducted. The Order discussed the general plans for collecting information on Death Eaters, recruiting people to the cause, and guarding an important relic at the Ministry of Magic. Duties were assigned and while Tonks was surprised that Lupin was put in charge of cleaning up Grimmauld Place, the enthusiastic whistling and catcalls from Sirius Black indicated the owner's pleasure. After all, Lupin was the DADA Professor.

Tonks could absorb all of these events; it was the headmaster's final statement that made her wince. Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling as he proclaimed, "And now I'll have some of our veterans pair up with our novices so they can teach the use of the Patronus to send messages. Ah, Remus, would you be so kind so instruct Nymphadora, please?"

- - - - - - - -

Lupin accepted the assignment with his usual aplomb until he stole a glance at Tonks. She had her face covered by her hands and he could see her shoulders were shaking. Dear Merlin, what had he ever done to her to cause such fear! It had to be because was a werewolf, he thought dismally. But surely she didn't think he was going to maul her at Order headquarters? Luckily the others in the group were busy with their own tasks, so he was able to quietly approach Tonks.

"Miss Tonks, if you'd rather someone else--"

Tonks looked up suddenly and he could see that she was not horrified, but hysterical. She shook her head and chuckled. "I hope your shield charms are good, Professor. I really don't want to hurt you again."

Lupin found her smile to be infectious and was caught by that glimmer of challenge in her eyes. He felt like he was dealing with James or Sirius back in his school days, so he said, "I'm a big boy, Miss Tonks."

"It's just Tonks, Professor," she reminded him as she stood up. "There's no Miss to it."

"Then please call me Remus." Lupin turned to see they had little space to work. "Let's go outside to the garden for this. It shouldn't take long for you to master the skill."

Tonks narrowed her eyes a bit suspiciously. "You want to get me outside alone?"

"I'd like to keep any further humiliation private," responded Lupin as he led the way. "Or at least out of view from Sirius."

Tonks and Lupin were soon in the garden facing each other. The Professor instructed, "First let me see your Patronus."

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," said Tonks, then she stepped back primly and added, "Patronus, I mean."

"Ladies first," said Lupin.

Tonks nodded and brought her memory cue to mind. It was her first introduction to Muggle swings with her father pushing from behind while she sat on her mum's lap. There was something perfectly wonderful about being suspended high in the air while safe in the embrace of her mother's arms.

Lupin watched as the silvery form appeared at the end of her wand. A butterfly. How appropriate, he thought. Tonks had sufficient control of the Patronus to send it fluttering to light on the very tip of his nose. The wings fluttered one last time before the Patronus disappeared in a shimmer of silver.

"Good definition and control. The messenger spell should be easy for you to learn."

The approval of his tone was not lost on Tonks. She tried not to feel so flattered, but she knew that as a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Lupin was no lightweight in assessing her work. It almost made up for his questionable lechery.

"Your turn now," she said as she stood back. What Patronus would a werewolf have?

"All right, but I'll send a message with mine," said Lupin.

Rather than using his wand, he merely focused his attention on the palm of his hand. Tonks saw a silvery orb rising and cocked her head as she tried to make out the form. The light circled her head.

"That's unusual," she murmured. "Wait, I see it now; it's a firefly."

Lupin nodded in affirmation. "Most people don't recognize it. I don't often inject enough power in it to give it definition. Now, listen."

The firefly Patronus floated near her ear and she could hear the message clearly. "_I didn't touch you at the Randy Boar_."

The Patronus evaporated as Tonks looked up abruptly at Lupin. "It wasn't you? It was Dung, wasn't it? Why, I'm gonna--"

"Stay here and let me teach you the message charm," interrupted Lupin calmly, but Tonks ran around him in a flash. "Tonks! Wait, you can't go charging after Dung."

Lupin had grabbed her arm, but she slinked it loose, forcing him to grab her around the waist. She dug in with her trainers, so he was literally dragging her away from the door into the house.

"Come on, Remus, the old goat's been trying to grope me all week!" pleaded Tonks ineffectively. Lupin was a lot stronger than one would expect from his peaky appearance. She suddenly went limp in his arms.

"Tonks? Nymphadora, are you--"

As soon as Lupin loosened his grip on her, she ducked under his arms and tried to make another run for the door, but blast! With his long legs, he caught up with her forthwith.

"Let me go!" Tonks exclaimed as Lupin gabbed her around the waist and shoulders, pinning her arms to her body, and dangled her off the ground. Then he spun her around away from the door.

At that moment the door to the house opened and Sirius poked his head out. "Any problems out here, Moony? Oh, never mind. Carry on."

The interruption had made both Lupin and Tonks go still while she was clearly in his embrace. Only the sharp click of the door brought them back to reality. Tonks was blushing again while Lupin was wondering whether to strangle Sirius or his young cousin.

Lupin set his pupil's feet onto the ground, but quickly whipped out his wand and threatened her. "Don't you dare."

Tonks had also drawn her wand and had it pointed at him. She stood there with heaving chest, fully realizing she was acting a bit childishly. Well, a lot childishly. She tilted her chin upward, not willing to surrender, but merely offered, "I'm ready to learn the message charm for the Patronus, Professor."

"Good," said Lupin, although he eyed her cautiously. "This shouldn't take long. Now, _expecto patronum_ calls the Patronus. You merely add an incantation of _transmitto vox_ , but your message needs to be concise and precise. Understand?"

Tonks stiffened. "Yes, Professor, it sounds fairly elementary."

Lupin nodded for her to proceed, but remained between Tonks and the door while she refined the spell. He made her execute the spell perfectly ten times just for good measure and to give Dung a chance to make his escape. Finally, Lupin said, "I think you're certified for transmitting messages. Good work."

Tonks nodded sedately, then dashed around him to see if she could catch Fletcher. Lupin finally sighed. The woman was completely exasperating.

- - - - - - - - -

"Where are you off to in such a rush?" growled Alastor Moody as he was almost run over by Tonks once she entered Grimmauld Place. "Here, walk with me so I know you won't be running me down."

"Sorry about jostling you, Mad-eye," murmured Tonks as she craned her neck. It appeared that everyone else had departed. "I seem to be a real terror tonight."

Moody stumped along knowing Tonks would not ignore his directive as they exited the house. "What did you think of the Order?"

"It's going to take a bit to get used to thinking of Sirius Black as a long lost cousin rather than our most wanted fugitive, but he is a rather charming devil."

"You never met Black before now?"

"No, but I remember Mum being upset when he was sent to Azkaban, crying her eyes out," replied Tonks. "It was my second year at Hogwarts and I kept getting these soggy letters from her."

"What about the other members?"

"I know the folks who work for the Ministry or at Hogwarts, of course, but Sirius introduced me to the others. It's an odd lot that Dumbledore's put together to fight against You-Know-Who, but that also means we have a diversity of talents," said Tonks reasonably. "I even got the feeling that people would trust a metamorphmagus. What am I saying? If they trust Mundungus Fletcher, I'm an angel. And I suppose that's not much different than accepting a lycanthrope among the ranks. Lupin's like one of Dumbledore's lieutenants."

"You and Lupin had a less than auspicious introduction," observed Moody.

"Oh, that obnoxious creature!" said Tonks was she stomped her foot. She saw Moody's look of surprise and added, "I meant the house elf, not Lupin. But the Professor is so bloody tall! Did he have to dangle like some rag doll?"

"Actually, I'm not quite sure he knows how to pick up a woman," murmured Moody under his breath. "Well, there was no harm done."

"He made me feel a bit titchy, though, and just a bit flustered."

"Because he's a werewolf?"

"I have no problem with him being a werewolf, Mad-eye," insisted Tonks. "He's just so, I don't know, tall!"

"You were quick to assume he'd taken liberties when you slapped him," reminded Moody.

"That's because I saw him with Dung at the Randy Boar. Ugh, you can't imagine the groping hands I had to dodge on that one, " she grumbled.

But then the picture of Lupin wearing the bowl of peas flooded her mind. And her behavior during their lesson certainly wouldn't endear her to the Professor. With sincere concern she asked, "Lupin's not one to hold a grudge, is he?"

"Lupin's a very forgiving fellow, but don't underestimate his sense of mischief. He always had his own way of getting payback," cautioned Moody. "And this is where we part. Good night, Tonks."

- - - - - - - - -

Lupin stood in the warm shower letting the water do its magic and relax him. He could swear he still smelled peas most of the night, except when he was with Tonks. No, then he had only smelled--No! He wasn't going to think of the valkyrie.

It had been good to see so many old faces in the Order of the Phoenix. He smiled as he remembered how pleased Emmeline Vance had been to learn that Sirius Black was back in town. How did Padfoot do it? Gone for fourteen years, yet an old lover was still interested in him.

Lupin felt the familiar pang in his heartstrings at the thought of having a woman's interest. The empty feeling was something he had accepted long ago: Remus Lupin, confirmed bachelor.

He scrubbed his face vigorously, but halted his movements as the memory of a gentle hand on his cheek swept through him. Lupin closed his eyes. He was pathetic to latch onto such a fleeting touch, but his rich imagination would not be reined in,and the woman transformed into the nymph rather than the valkyrie. He sighed as he let nature run its course.

- - - - - - - - -

Tonks settled into her bed and closed her eyes as images of the day flittered through her mind. Then she tossed and turned a bit as she wondered whether Lupin was planning some sort of payback for that slap on the stairs or the bowl of peas on the head or the disruption of his lesson in the garden.

Tonks took her pillow and slammed it atop her face. Perfect. Lupin was one of Dumbledore's lieutenants and she had probably managed to alienate him. So what? He was a lecherous, well, no, he seemed to be innocent of trying to molest her. But he had protected that weasel, Mundungus Fletcher!

She shoved the pillow back under her head and blew at the bangs that had fallen over her forehead. She would not think about Remus Lupin, she told herself. He was too, too tall! Unless you were standing on the stairs. Now what would he have done if she had kissed his cheek instead of just healed it?

Tonks sat up abruptly. "Where the hell did that thought come from?"

"Ugh, Remus Lupin, just go away!" said Tonks stubbornly, but as she drifted to sleep, her dreams refused to obey.

_End of Chapter  
_

Minor edits, mostly in response to Tonks meeting Sirius.

Author Notes: Yes, my beta liked my first characterization of Lupin and Tonks (they wound up in 24 stories) just fine, but I felt compelled to revisit the development of their relationship in Book 5. I'll post all of this into this one story, though the chapters might be long at times.

You won't disappoint me if this is not your cup of tea or don't leave a review. I'm enjoying playing with this and will update as I find the time. But for those of you who do take the time to read, THANKS!


	2. Metamorphmaidus

Summary: Lupin, Tonks, Black. Housecleaning was never quite like this, but it gives Remus a chance at revenge on Tonks.

**NYMPH vs WOLF**  
_**Metamorph-maidus**_

_ Grimmauld Place_

"She's an Auror."

"I know."

"So we call her here and--"

"No."

"We need those rooms habitable for the Weasleys!"

"I know."

"Then quit being such a stubborn git."

"No."

"She might be able to order Kreacher around."

"I know."

"Then why don't you let me--."

"No."

"Come on, Moony! What harm could she do?"

"..."

"Never took you for a coward."

"..."

"We could give her the dirty jobs?"

"Payback?"

"Of course, although I trust you'll keep it within reason. She is my little cousin, after all."

"Padfoot, your little cousin managed to knock me breathless then knock me senseless within 5 seconds of our first encounter."

"You two seemed to be getting along in the garden," offered Sirius as he flashed his eyebrows suggestively.

"Getting along?" Lupin rolled his eyes. "I was restraining her from hunting down an Order member. I'm fairly certain I prevented Dung from being emasculated last night."

"Now there's a boon for the Wizarding world," replied his host sarcastically.

Lupin narrowed his eyes and said firmly, "The point is that she disrupted an important lesson."

Sirius laughed and said with a hint of pride, "She is my cousin." Then he looked at his friend closely. "Come on, Moony, where's your sense of humor?"

Gritting his teeth, Lupin finally admitted, "It got swamped with the bowl of peas she managed to dump on my head before dinner."

To his credit, Sirius managed to keep a straight face and offer his support knowing well of Lupin's lifelong aversion to peas. "But Tonks couldn't have known about your conditioned taste aversion. I'm sure she'd be in the same fix if she'd been force fed pea soup."

"Whoever says it has medicinal properties should have his mind obliviated. I never had such a horrible time recovering from a full moon as a child." A shudder ran through him at the memory.

"I appreciate your forbearance, Moony. So let's call up Tonks so that you can get your revenge, suitably restrained due to the fact she is my little cousin, while she helps us battle the house. Dumbledore put you in charge of the clean-up, so the call has to come from you."

Lupin was about to object, but then he did feel that he and Tonks had some unfinished business. Perhaps getting his revenge would give him closure? Then he could distance himself from her unsettling presence. He put his hand over his heart and gave a stately bow before walking away to summon Tonks via owl post.

As Lupin put quill to parchment, he wondered about his oscillating feelings toward Tonks. There was something at once very foreign and yet familiar about her. She and Sirius shared the same eyes, he thought, and the same tenacious spirit. But Sirius had never overturned a bowl of peas on his head, he thought grimly.

Lupin thought carefully about what to say to entice the young valkyrie back to Grimmauld Place. It was Order business in a manner of speaking and she was of the Black family line. That should overcome any reluctance to see him again, but then he smiled. His valkyrie had revealed a voracious appetite last night. He knew just the thing.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

Nymphadora Tonks looked around her flat and sighed. She had three days off beginning today as compensation for the overtime she had spent on the Dimsdale assignment. She'd slept in late as a result and now at nine in the morning was hard pressed for something to do that was not directly related to her work at the Ministry.

"Could always tidy up the place," she muttered to herself as she looked around the colorful mess. Housekeeping was not her forte, although she did a good spell to prevent the accumulation of dust.

She had informed the Order that she would be available if needed, but doubted that anything would come of it although it was obvious that Grimmauld Place required more work before being a comfortable Order headquarters. She could feel the swell of Dark Arts in the house last night, but she expected to be the last person on the list that Lupin would call for aide. Then she heard the familiar pecking at her window indicating owl post.

Tonks opened the window with a flick of her wand and the owl tossed the scroll at her before zooming off again. She unrolled the note and read:

_Miss Tonks,_

_The situation is dire and our need is urgent.  
Bring a bucket for debris.  
You know the address._

_RJL_

_PS. M made sure we had leftovers  
PPS. That includes treacle tarts._

"Molly Weasley's leftovers, eh? Okay, Professor, I'll bite, even if this is a ruse to get payback," smiled Tonks.

Sirius had described a few of the escapades he and his mates had executed at Hogwarts. Lupin might not be a lecherous fiend, but he was a Marauder, as the fellows were known. Even Moody had cautioned her against Lupin's streak of mischief.

"I'll just be constantly vigilant," she told her herself. "Now, what to wear for such drudgery?"

She tied a bright yellow bandana around her neck in case she needed it later to cover her pink hair, then thought about protecting her eyes. "Right, might need goggles."

She snapped her fingers as she activated her _accio_ spell. Rubber goggles, in a fluorescent pink, were immediately in hand, so she tucked them through a belt loop on her jeans.

She frowned as she tried to remember where she had put her cleaning supplies, but shrugged and instead transformed a coffee mug into a metal bucket. Then she tucked her wand into the tabs woven on the thigh of her jeans that served as a holster.

"Right, Professor R. J. Lupin, I'm ready for you."

- - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

Tonks arrived at Grimmauld Place and knocked loudly on the door. That was her first mistake.

"Filthy half-blood shape-shifter..."

Lupin, who was dressed in jeans and a rather loose fitting, long-sleeved sHenley, opened the door as the harsh tirade filled the hallway.

Tonks winced at the screeching and hoped this was Lupin's idea of payback, but he merely gestured for her to wait, then loped off to help Sirius cast a silencing spell at a portrait. She cautiously moved forward as the men were talking.

"I thought the silencing spell would last," grumbled Sirius. He was going to go insane if that portrait continued to rant.

"I told you it was likely to be a limited fix," reminded Lupin. "We were lucky the spells lasted as long as they did last night."

Tonks cleared her throat to get their attention, then fell into her Auror mode of interrogation. "This portrait is repelling silencing charms?"

"Mummy Dearest always was a stubborn old witch," said Sirius with mock fondness.

"The duration of the spell has diminished every time we cast it," added Lupin.

"Then it's something inherent to the creation of the portrait, not the place on the wall?" asked Tonks as she approached the picture of the haggard woman.

"Dunno, we can't move the old b--bag," admitted Sirius glumly.

"So you can't move it; you can't silence it much longer. What about curtains?" Tonks turned to the men, who were looking at her as if she had odd colored hair. Which she didn't because once again she was wearing it pink.

"Curtains? Tonks, we didn't bring you here to redecorate." replied Sirius.

"But if you cast a permanent muffling spell on the some curtains--"

"That could work." Lupin was already nodding his head in agreement. "Muffling the curtains would decrease the noise to set her off and reduce the noise we hear if she does begin ranting."

Tonks merely smiled knowingly at the men as she swung the bucket loosely in her hand. Then she turned to walk away, but stumbled on a troll foot umbrella stand that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The bucket flew out of her hand and as she landed on her rear, she could hear it hitting something.

_Clang!_

Tonks refused to open her eyes for a moment. She could hear Kreacher cackling as Sirius took after the house elf. "How dare you bring that thing out! Tonks is a Black..."

So where was her bucket?

"How did you know my size?"

The muffled voice had a metallic tone to it, so when she bravely opened her eyes, she wasn't surprised to find Lupin lifting the bucket off of his head.

"Uh, good guess?" she ventured as she quickly sprang to her feet before Lupin could dangle her like some child. An apology wouldn't make any difference now, she was certain, nor would a pun about him looking pale. Still, she did notice that Lupin looked sort of attractive in a mussed up way. Wait. Had she knocked her head after all?

Lupin returned her bucket with one hand while he raked his hair off of his forehead with the other. She was at it again, disrupting his life by her mere presence, standing there looking young and innocent in the process. "Miss Tonks--"

"Ahem." Tonks cleared her throat as a subtle reminder to call her Tonks.

"Nymphadora," began Lupin again and felt some satisfaction when he saw her cringe at the sound of her first name, "you'll need an infinity charm on the bucket. We've got a lot of cleaning up to do."

"I'm not very handy with householdy spells," she admitted as she quickly tapped the rim of the bucket.

"But you are an Auror and adept at Defense Against the Dark Arts. The problem here is not just the bundimun infestation," said Lupin referring to the green fungus with eyes. "I'm sure you noticed this house is full of, shall we say, less than benign magic, if not actual Dark Artifacts."

"Right, so what's on the agenda?"

At this point Sirius rejoined them with a scowling house elf in his wake. "First we test your ability to order Kreacher around. That way we can break up into teams to tackle the rooms we need to clean."

"Charming fellow," said Tonks as she bent over to get a closer look at the house elf. Kreacher responded by crossing his arms over his chest and wrinkling his nose at her. Tonks sprang back and unconsciously took a step closer to Lupin. "What do I do?"

"Give him a simple command, like to come to your side," suggested Sirius.

"Kreacher, come here to stand to my left," ordered Tonks with her voice of authority she used during arrests.

Kreacher responded immediately by looking constipated, but alas, there was no movement of his limbs to obey her.

"Kreacher, come here now," repeated Tonks emphatically.

They could see a toe twitching on the house elf, but then he began muttering. "No, no, Kreacher will not listen to the git of a blood traitor. The filthy shape-shifting freak has no call on the noble bloodline of the Blacks."

"That's enough," said Sirius with a heavy sigh. "It looks like I'll have to direct Kreacher after all."

"It will just be a slight adjustment to our plans then," assured Lupin. He selected his next words carefully just to provoke Tonks. "Sirius, you can use Kreacher to tackle more of the rooms while your little cousin helps me clear out the larger infestations."

Tonks put her hand on her hips to interject a complaint, but Lupin merely looked to her, then deliberately to the bucket dangling in her hand. She huffed, "Fine, Professor, I'll be happy to give you a hand."

Or a dope slap for calling me the little cousin, she thought to herself, but she tried to make her face look as innocent as possible.

At his point Lupin used his wand to activate a diagram of the houseplan. The glowing blue lines demarcated the different rooms that were in turn filled with a translucent color code.

"The rooms in purple are not a priority for decontamination, so have been sealed. The green have been decontaminated. The rooms in yellow are safe with sufficient precautions. The seven rooms in red are the bedrooms that need to be prepared for the Weasleys and other guests we're expecting to house over the summer. It should take us about three days to complete, which will allow us to meet the deadline for the Weasley invasion in five. When a room is safely green--or at least a cautious yellow, the houseplans will reflect this."

"Right then," said Sirius "but first, I'm muffling Mummy Dearest. Come on, Kreacher, go find some heavy curtains."

As the grumbling house elf left with Sirius, Tonks could not help but feel relieved that Kreacher had not obeyed her summons. She turned to Lupin. "I'm ready for the fun to begin."

"Good," he said in reply. It was that faint smirk around his lips that made Tonks worry.

- - - - - - - - -

"Here's our first room," said Lupin as his hand reached for the doorknob. Then he stopped, turned to Tonks and said, "You might want to wait out here, wand at the ready."

Tonks was silent, but set down the bucket and pulled out her wand. She was feeling the surge of adrenaline that happened on her missions.

Lupin was about to turn the doorknob when he stopped again."If I tell you to run, you should obey me immediately."

Tonks nodded grimly, feeling her heart racing. She was an Auror; she should be the one on the line, not a civilian like Lupin.

Lupin turned the knob and Tonks heard the click as the latch was released, but instead of opening the door, the Professor stopped and turned to her one last time.

"One last warning about this door--"

"Bloody hell, Lupin, budge over and let me do my job!"

Tonks shoved past him toward the door, aiming her body at it at full force--and fell with unladylike grace onto the floor of the room. She managed to catch herself with her hands so that she wound up on all fours, but she turned to glare at Lupin over her shoulder.

"Sorry." Lupin's calm voice was calculated to be irritating "I was also going to tell you that the door opens on its own once you twist the door knob."

He set her bucket inside the threshold, but he cleared his throat when he realized he was staring at her bum and not her face as he spoke. Honestly, was he turning into an old lecher?

Tonks, thinking she was in an unflattering position, quickly gained her feet only to find Lupin pointing his wand at her. She hadn't expected him to be so direct about getting his revenge.

"Don't move," said Lupin in a very quiet voice.

The air gained a sulfurous odor. Tonks blinked as she looked into his eyes and saw the fire demon reflected there. She was beginning to feel the heat of its flame as it loomed behind her. She knew that it would embrace her if she made any large movements, so she slowly began moving her wand to point behind her. She murmured, "I can help you if you don't blink."

Lupin understood that she was going to use the reflection from his eyes to gauge where to cast her spell. He gave the slightest nod, and watched while she tipped her wand to point behind her while she counted off with the fingers of her free hand.

One. Two. Three. Tonks hoped that Lupin knew enough to cast the right spell. It was best to make the demon be consumed by his own fire. She thought, "_Cremo vulcanus._"

The demon flared for a moment, then diminished into ash, leaving the two combatants coughing.

"You didn't think to mention there was fire demon in here?" asked Tonks a bit peevishly.

Lupin just shook his head and said, "We had it contained until a few moments ago. I was expecting--duck!"

"A duck?" Tonks asked in confusion as she heard Lupin slam the door shut.

She was a bit too late in obeying his directive. A disc of floating gelatin skimmed across the top of her head and left a residue on her hair as she dodged. "Yuck! Gloplins."

"This is what I was expecting by the way." Lupin began aiming at the floating gloop as he explained. "We managed to contain the fire demon, but then the gloplins came out of their dormant stage, so we couldn't finish him off."

"What a wonderful way to spend my day off," muttered Tonks as she quickly tucked her bandana over her hair before joining the fray.

Gloplins looked like translucent green jellyfish filling the air. The silly appearance masked their deadlier qualities: asphyxiation. They would attach to the face and flow down the windpipe. The room seemed to suddenly fill with them; thus, it took a couple of hours before there was nothing but the goo on the floor.

"Perfect, we're surrounded by green muck," groaned Tonks in dismay. She flicked her wand to open the door for some air now that the immediate danger was over.

"Not to worry," Lupin replied. A quick flick of his wand sent the remains of the gloplins into Tonks' bucket with a final squelch.

"Slimy things! I can still feel them--Augh!" Tonks had walked to a bureau that had a mirror above it and looked at her hair peeking out from her bandana. She ripped it off and scrunched her face, but to no avail. Her hair color was now green.

"Problem?" asked Lupin mildly. This had worked out better than he could have hoped. He had expected to have to nudge one of the gloplins her way just enough to touch her hair.

"My hair is Slytherin green!" Tonks was raking her hands through her hair. "It's all green and, and spiky!"

"It was spiky before; it just looks like an evergreen now," commented Lupin. "Don't fret, it's a side effect of direct contact with a gloplin. It will fade through the day and you'll have complete control over the color by, er, tomorrow morning. It will just resemble pea soup by tonight."

Tonks narrowed her eyes. "Retribution to fit the crime, Professor?"

"I did warn you," said Lupin as he put his hands palm out. He told himself not to smirk one iota.

"Tell me. Does your middle initial stand for Juvenile?" asked Tonks sweetly.

"No, it's simply John," replied Lupin with exaggerated courtesy.

"Well, Remus John--look out!" Tonks called as she pointed behind him.

Lupin was slow to respond since he suspected this was simply a ploy on her part to make him look foolish. The lethifold swooped just above Lupin, appearing like a dark cloak gracefully falling on the floor. Muggles mistook it for a cloak floating on the wind before it wrapped around them and smothered them. Lupin managed to dodge it just as Tonks called forth her Patronus, but found that he didn't need to call his own.

The silvery butterfly and the dark cloak did a macabre, whirling dance for a moment, but soon the shining wings of the Patronus were all that were left. The butterfly might seem fragile, but the protection it offered was very strong.

"Good work. The fire demon was probably escaping being suffocated by the lethifold," said Lupin. Then he fingered his chin and added, "Only three cases like that have been documented."

"Well, Professor, you can now add the fourth," said Tonks as she wiped her brow and tied her bandana back around her head. She took a few deep, calming breaths, but then she caught sight of the emerging form of a massive, black hound in the hallway beyond the open door of the room.

Tonks felt the familiar panic rising in her chest. She had been bitten very badly as a child. The recent battles in the room had set her nerves just a bit on edge, so it was only understandable that a grown woman, an Auror, no less, suddenly scrambled up the nearest object she could find: Professor R. J. Lupin.

"Eeei!"

Lupin felt as if he were being attacked by a banshee since Tonks was screaming in his ear after she straddled his back. He could feel the panic in her heart because her chest was currently pressed against him. In fact, he automatically wrapped his arms around her legs seeing as how the rest of her seemed to have a precarious grip on him.

"What the?" Lupin managed to get out before he saw the problem.

The bearlike dog suddenly stopped and bared his teeth. While Lupin recognized the smile, all Tonks saw were the gleaming canines.

"Eeieieiei!"

Lupin swore he would be deaf in both ears now that Tonks' had shifted to scream at the other side of his head.

The dog suddenly sat on his haunches and cocked his head with his tongue lolling off to one side as if amused.

"Snuffles, show Tonks who you are before I'm permanently deaf and crippled."

Tonks watched in wonder as the black dog transformed into Sirius Black. She was peering around Lupin's head to ascertain that it was her cousin now standing in the hallway.

"Sirius Black! Why didn't you--" began Tonks with a yell. Then she noticed her perch wincing, so ended with a harsh whisper, "-- tell me you were an Animagus!"

"Didn't I?" asked Siruis with a look toward Lupin for confirmation, who returned a shrug. "Must have slipped my mind. Oh, well, sorry, but I have to chase down those erklings. Don't want the young ones to end up as their supper, do we?"

He quickly changed back into Snuffles and was soon out of sight, although now he was howling as he gave chase.

In the meantime Lupin could feel Tonks collapsing against him as her cheek fell against the nape of his neck. He stood silently for a moment, but then cleared his throat before saying, "You can come down now."

Tonks jerked her head up suddenly. Lupin had felt so warm and solid that she was a bit reluctant to leave. However, it was yet another childish position that he had found her in. "Sorry."

Lupin released his hold on her legs to allow her to slide off of his back. Given her reaction to Snuffles, he could just imagine how terrified the girl would be if she ever saw him in his werewolf form. So his voice held nothing but compassion when he asked, "Bad incident with a dog?"

"I was about seven when the Rotweiler attacked me. Never saw Mum so upset; she killed the dog before she even realized she could cast a killing curse." Tonks took a deep breath and added, "It practically ripped my left ear off. I would have had scars on my face if my abilities as a Metamorphmagus hadn't begun to emerge beyond changing my hair color. It helped the wounds heal. I can barely see them now."

Lupin merely nodded and Tonks knew that with the scars he carried on his face, he probably understood better than most how such an incident could leave a life long effect.

"Well," said Lupin as he released a long breath, "how about some lunch before Snuffles raids the kitchen? I've known Sirius to work up quite an appetite in his canine form."

"I've got dibs on Molly's treacle tarts!" exclaimed Tonks as her eyes resumed their familiar gleam before she turned to race to the kitchen.

Lupin followed at a more leisurely pace after closing the door behind him. He was the only one who knew where the treacle tarts were hidden.

- - - - - - - - - -

The meal was a pleasant respite with the men relating the story of exactly how Sirius had escaped Azkaban and the events during Harry's third year at Hogwarts. Lupin also insisted that Sirius transform into Snuffles at intervals to help Tonks get accustomed to his Animagus form. After their spot of lunch and relaxed conversation with Sirius, they resumed their attack of the room.

"What do we battle next?" asked Tonks as they stood outside the door.

Lupin conjured two spray bottles and gave one to Tonks. "Doxies. It should be a small nest in the window. Nothing major. Shield charm up? Let's go."

Tonks didn't try to force the door open this time, but managed to kick the bucket she had left inside. It rolled merrily until it stopped abruptly when it hit the legs of the bed.

A flurry of dark flying shapes suddenly rose from the bed and swarmed around them in response. Lupin shut the door quickly and took aim. Disgruntled doxies were as fun to deal with as their human counterpart.

"This is your idea of a small nest?" asked Tonks in exasperation. Really, Lupin was lousy at reconnaissance.

"I didn't realize they'd claimed territory from the curtains to the bed covers," responded Lupin. "Their eggs must have hatched after we contained the fire demon and eliminated the globlins."

"Typical, solve one problem only to create another," said Tonks. Then she realized they could use their height differential to a strategic advantage. "Keep your spray pattern above them and I'll get them from below."

Lupin nodded, but even with this effective strategy, it was three hours before they saw the last doxy drop. They also managed to disable a variety of items charmed with dark magic that the doxies had hidden in the curtains and bed covers.

"That's it, I think we've got them," said Lupin as he tossed the last black, hairy body into the bucket.

Tonks' only response was to collapse on the floor and stretch. "Oh, that feels good."

She looked so comfortable that Lupin also lay back on the floor to catch his breath, although he was careful to avoid invading Tonks' personal space. He knew the doxies were only one of the problems remaining in the room. In fact as he looked up, he could identify their next task.

"Open your eyes, Tonks, and look up. What do you see?"

"Eyes. Hundreds and hundreds of eyes," groaned Tonks. "Don't tell me, Remus. Bundimun?"

"We'll need to clear them out, but that should finish the room. "

"All right--Ouch!" Tonks suddenly sprang up and began shaking herself as her hands swiped at her bottom.

Lupin sat up and told himself not to laugh. Seriously. The sight of the shimmying young Auror with a doxy biting her bum was NOT amusing. "Hold still so I can spray the doxy."

Tonks quit shaking and swiping, but she muttered, "It hurts. Pull the thing off!"

A quick spray took care of the doxy, but then Lupin realized he was faced with a dilemma. "Er, I'll have to pry the doxy off."

Tonks knew she was turning pink. Worse, it probably clashed horribly with her evergreen hair. "It's going to hurt, isn't it?"

"I'll be gentle," assured Lupin, but tugged the doxy off without warning. It wasn't revenge for yesterday's slap, he told himself, it was simply best to move quickly when dealing with doxy bites.

"Ow," grumbled Tonks. The sting was horrible, but she didn't want to cry in front of this man.

"Ahem, now we have to, uh, administer the bite remedy and, um, seal the puncture," said Lupin, but now it was his turn to look a bit uncomfortable. "Best that you lie on the bed and, er, expose your, uh, the bite."

Tonks stood very still for a moment. Lupin wondered if she had been listening, then felt compelled to offer, "I'll go get Sirius if you prefer."

"No, I'd rather moon you than my cousin," mumbled Tonks. She fell on the bed on her stomach and gritted her teeth as she pulled down her jeans over her rump.

Lupin stared for just a moment before taking the small potion bottle he was carrying in his pocket for just this type of emergency. He took a deep breath and was pleased that he could move deftly to apply the remedy with the medicine dropper, but there was one last step.

"I'll need to seal the wound," he explained to the silent Tonks. That would require direct physical contact. "Unless you'd rather leave it alone."

"I hope you're appreciating the irony of this?" murmured Tonks. Yesterday she was slapping him for allegedly goosing her and today she needed his touch. The universe had a perverse sense of humor.

"Believe me, it's the only thing I can appreciate," agreed Lupin.

Tonks stiffened, thinking that he was casting aspersions on her feminine attributes. She gritted her teeth and urged, "Just get this over with."

Lupin willed himself to completely ignore the expanse of smooth, nicely toned skin in his view. It was awkward enough that he would have to cup her with his palm to cast the spell. Perhaps if he did it quickly? No, that would be like a slap on the rump and he knew where that would get him.

Tonks could hear Lupin clearing his throat before she felt his palm gently grazing her skin. She could feel the warm hand even through the sting of the bite he was healing. For his part, Lupin focused on the healing spell, not the fact that he'd never, ever touched a woman's padded bits. Nicely padded, in fact. Damn, his touch was making her squirm.

"That should do it," said Lupin after clearing his throat and moving away from Tonks quickly. "I just need to wash up."

Lupin walked to the door in the corner that opened into the connecting bathroom. He washed his hands and then splashed cold water on his face. He was convinced that the universe had a perverse sense of humor and he was destined to be the butt of its jokes.

- - - - - - - - - -

Five hours later, Lupin and Tonks were still dealing with the bundimun infestation. A short dinner break had been their only interruption. They were wearing goggles to protect their eyes from the fallout of their latest operation, his with dark blue frames while she had donned her pink ones.

"You don't have to stay. I can finish it by myself," said Lupin

"I'll stay," declared Tonks as she put more effort into her spells.

"Stubborn," murmured Lupin. He wasn't sure if he was referring to Tonks or the bundimun. She had been acting peevishly towards him ever since the doxy bite. And now her hair had begun to turn the color of pea soup. He was grateful that the bandana covered most of it.

Tonks ignored his comment, but stepped back with her hands on her hips. She pulled her goggles down around her neck and said, "You know, I swear there's just as many now as when we started. It's as if they're multiplying."

Lupin turned to her and pulled down his goggles as well. "Of course! Their reproductive cycle, the heat earlier from the fire demon probably set it off."

"Is there any way to stop it?" asked Tonks as she sat down on the floor and wrapped her arms around her knees. Her arms were tired, her hair was puky green, and she was still disgruntled about the doxy bite incident. The only good thing was that her bum wasn't sore.

"Freezing charm might do it," said Lupin as he leaned against the wall.

"Oh, sit down, would you? I hate the way you loom over me," grumbled Tonks. "Did you have to be so bloody tall?"

Lupin was not one to lose his cool over insults, but the long day was taxing him. Furthermore, her comments made him feel like the awkward, gangly youth he had been, especially around girls. He realized his head was tapping the wall lightly in his irritation. "If you don't like me looming over you, why don't you leave?"

"Because I stay with a job until it's done regardless of whom I am partnered with," she responded tersely.

"I follow the same policy." Lupin crossed his arms to prevent himself from hexing her straight out the door.

"Imagine that? We have something in common."

"Nasty, shape-shifting freaks," mumbled Kreacher as he walked by the door of the room. "Sullying this Noble House of Black with their presence..."

The reluctant partners suddenly looked at each other. They realized the house elf was referring to both of them: shape-shifters. It was something else they held in common, but it also meant that each knew what it was like to be an outcast.

Tonks bit her lip in regret. "Look, how about we set a freezing charm on the ceiling tonight? The bundimun will probably fall off easily tomorrow morning."

Lupin nodded his agreement. He pushed off the wall and then he saw Tonks lift a hand toward him in a silent request for help up. He had convinced himself that she had found his touch so repulsive earlier that she was angry. Her gesture clearly indicated this might not be the case.

His hesitation made Tonks frown and she almost withdrew her hand. Obviously he thought she lacked the feminine qualities to evoke common courtesy. Fine, she didn't need his help anyway.

But before she could pull back, she felt him take her firmly in hand and pull her to her feet.

"Ready?" he asked as he let her hand fall away once she was standing.

"I'll take the far side," offered Tonks with a nod of her head.

They completed the freezing charm in moments, but then Tonks grinned and added some writing in fluorescent pink over the sheen of glistening ice that now covered the ceiling. She wrote with flourish.

"Tonks Territory." She glanced at Lupin with a bright challenge in her eyes.

"Hmph," grunted Lupin before he labeled his side with neatly measured, luminescent blue letters. "Lupin Land."

"But it's my window," said Tonks with a note of triumph.

"But it's my lavatory," pointed out Lupin with satisfaction.

"But my door leads into the room," observed Tonks with a smirk.

Lupin actually laughed at her resourcefulness, but had to point out, "Fine, I'll allow access to the loo in exchange for access to the room, but you're not getting into my bed."

Lupin had made the remark because the bed fell into Lupin Land, but the bright flush on Tonks face made the Professor realize the innuendo--or was it an insult? She was confusing the hell out of him again.

"Well, Professor, good night then. I leave you to your bed," said Tonks "I'm sure it's a lonely one."

She had cast the last taunt over her shoulder as she had rushed out the door, but her words found their mark.

- - - - - - - - - - -

She was out the front door before Lupin could make sense of what had just happened. And although her remark about the lonely bed had cut, he couldn't deny its accuracy. It was obvious Tonks couldn't believe any woman would be attracted to him. He leaned back against the wall and sighed. He couldn't deny the accuracy of that, either.

"Touché, Tonks," said Lupin as he quietly tapped his head against the wall.

Wait. How could he have insulted her with a sexual innuendo that negated the sexual intent? It wasn't as if she wanted to--No. Don't go there. But as usual, his imagination refused to comply. He wished he could erase the memory of her skin and the feel of her warm body under his hand.

He shoved himself away from the wall. "Right, that's the closest you'll ever get to a girl, Lupin. You should appreciate your luck."

But the man wasn't smiling as he walked away.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

Tonks took a long, soaking bath and dressed in her favorite pajamas, the ones covered with racing broomsticks. She looked in the mirror and flicked at the collar. So what if she wasn't the epitome of femininity? She just liked to be comfortable.

She approached her bed and threw herself at it with a groan. "Lonely bed. Right, you're one to talk, dearie"

She hugged her pillow, then slammed it on her face. Why couldn't she just keep her mouth shut around Lupin? And trying to apologize would only make it worse. Tonks mumbled to herself, "Wotcher, Remus! Gee, sorry about inferring that you're a loser who can't get a date. Takes one to know one, right, mate?"

"Yeah, right," she said as she tucked the pillow back under her head. And so what if that lycanthrope of dubious lecherous intent didn't find her attractive? That's the way she wanted it. Absolutely. Even if he was warm and comfortable and solid--

"No, no, no! He's just too bloody tall!" She smothered her face with a pillow again, but failed to drown out her thoughts. Lupin had very beautiful hands...

_End of Chapter_

Minor edtis.

Author Notes:I hope you don't find Tonks too cruel. It's all defensive; she's just used to dealing with people who have a much larger ego than Lupin. And I hope you didn't think Lupin was bullying Tonks. I just want to highlight his sense of mischief. The chapter was edited to embellish Tonks' meeting Sirius, her mother's favorite cousin, but these are minor.

Thanks to Harry Potter Lexicon for ideas about the erklings, lethifold, bundimun and doxies (although we saw them in Book 5). The other critters and spells were not canon.

In response to questions. This is a different take on the characters, so the Patronus for each had to change. I based that on a more fragile image, although others have used a butterfly for Tonks. It wasn't metamorphosis that made it fit. It was the fragility. Likewise, the fragile firefly, which I know are called glow worms in England. Further, the female glows, the male flies, but Lupin's firefly arose from a childhood incident that I will describe in a subsequent story.

Yes, I intend to give you a glimpse at Lupin/Tonks throughout Book 5 again. A lot of the chapters will provide details of their early days. The previous couple was a lot stronger because I thought all we'd ever get was signs of them showing up together, not the all out romantic turmoil we got from Book 6. Having said that, my beta and I worked out a plotline that would throw even a strong couple into kilter, but you'll have to wait a while for that. But, yes, I think I'll be able to do some stories to fill in gaps for Book 6.

Sirius still doesn't realize how adamant Dumbledore is about his not leaving number twelve. It's early yet, so unfortunately as time progresses, his brighter spirits will diminish. But, I like to write for the interludes when he's a bit perkier. I probably won't write independent stories about Sirius and Emmeline, but I found it interesting that by Book 6, both of the characters have been lost. They'll be showing up in the background in this one.

Don't know how much I'll use Moody. I might not tackle him much until after I see him on the big screen. At this time I don't intend to follow through with the venificus primo background on Lupin, but I have another story that should fit. Be patient; it'll come.

As usual, THANK YOU for reading and the wonderful welcome to the story. Your comments leave me feeling like I've just met up with old friends and gained some new ones along the way. I hope the characters can still make you smile, although I am aiming to tug at your hearts as well.


	3. House Plants

Summary: Tonks and Remus play gardener.

**NYMPH vs WOLF**  
_**House Plants**_

_Tonks' Flat_

Nymphadora Tonks was sitting at Gisella Chandler's kitchen table early in the morning. Gisella, a squib, rented out the flat on top of her candle shop and residence to Tonks. In fact, Gisella gave Tonks a discount on the rent in exchange for the Auror maintaining protective wards.

"You are an angel, Gisella," moaned Tonks after biting into a freshly baked scone. "I need something other than toast inside of me for the busy day I've got ahead."

"The Ministry needs to give you a day off," said the elderly squib.

"They did, I got three days," said Tonks as she flashed three fingers with one hand while taking another big bite of the scone. "But I'm helping a, er, a friend with some housecleaning on this old residence."

"Really? I thought you shied away from that sort of work."

"Yeah, well, normally I disavow domesticity, but it's a special clean up job and the poor man would be lost--"

"Man?" asked Gisella with sudden interest. "Who is he? Have you been hiding something from me, Tonksie, dear? Cleaning house together is quite a step for a young couple to make."

Tonks almost spewed out her tea at Gisella's last remark. She managed to swallow it before she answered. "No, no, we're not a couple. Heavens, no! Are you kidding? We're both helping clean out er, my cousin Blackie's house. The man would be at his wits' end without me."

"Ah, but you can learn so much about someone when you're working to a common goal," said Gisella. "So how did you meet your young man? What's his name?"

"Remus is my cousin's friend and I wouldn't call him young, exactly. He's not old, but he's got to be--" Tonks stopped as she did a quick calculation in her head. "Yes, he's mid-thirties?"

"Well that's not old! He's mature enough to know how to treat a young lady," said Gisella with an approving nod.

"Gisella, really! It's not like that! I mean, he's just much too tall. Besides, after last night, he probably doesn't even like me," muttered Tonks with an audible sigh. She still felt bad about the lonely bed retort.

"All relationships have their little spots of trouble, Tonksie. Why don't you take your young man," advised Gisella as she ignored Tonks' rolling eyes, "a scone to make up? I've made plenty; take some for your cousin, too."

"Gisella, you're a hopeless romantic, but, yeah, I think a peace offering is in order. We still have a lot of work to do on the house." In fact, Tonks was fully equipped with bandana, goggles and had even added gloves to her chore woman ensemble.

"I'll just fill up a box. Boys always have a big appetite." As Gisella began to load up a box with her scones, an owl began pecking at her window.

"I'll get that; it's probably Remus wondering where I am," said Tonks with a quick smile. She opened the scroll and kept the smile on her face, but in reality her bright mood quickly turned stormy.

"Well, I've got to go. Thanks for the scones, Gisella." Tonks accepted the box and was out the door and walked for a bit before opening the scroll again to re-read the message.

_ Miss Tonks,_

_ Thank you for your help yesterday; it was greatly appreciated.  
I wanted to catch you early so that you would know that your  
assistance is no longer required._

_ Enjoy your days off._

_ RJL_

She had been summarily dismissed--and from a volunteer job, no less! Tonks closed her eyes for a moment. She deserved her days off; she'd be a fool to spend them engaged in such drudgery with a man who clearly didn't like her. It would serve Lupin right if she stayed away.

But the Auror in her wouldn't let her shirk her duty to protect a civilian from the hazards that waited in that house while the imp in her insisted that she confront Lupin. Perfect, both her Angel and Devil were prodding her to Grimmauld Place.

Soon a young woman with hair the color of pea soup was walking briskly. "Scones or scorn, Professor, I can deliver either."

- - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

Remus Lupin walked up the stairs from the kitchen at number twelve to see to the day's labor. He had woken up this morning convinced that Tonks wouldn't show up today. The Auror would realize she was a fool to spend any more of her days off decontaminating this dreary house, especially with Lupin for a partner.

And why should he subject himself to someone who clearly disliked him? He'd gotten his payback. The valkyrie just disrupted his equilibrium. Thus, as was his habit, Lupin took the quickest path to avoid rejection. He sent the note releasing Tonks from clean-up duty as a preemptive strike.

As he stood in the entry hall, Lupin stopped and looked around. The house seemed quite a bit gloomier today. It must be the thought of all the work he'd have to do alone. He stared at the door for a moment remembering Tonks arriving yesterday.

_Rap. Rap. Rap. _

Lupin was convinced it was not his imagination when Mrs. Black's portrait began ranting. He knew who was knocking the moment his heart started racing. Of course, any other woman would be happy to escape domestic drudgery, but not his Tonks. No, she would feel duty bound to spend another day making his world topsy-turvy.

Sirius stumbled down the stairs calling, "I'll get Mummy Dearest, you get the door."

Lupin opened the door and his eyes immediately fell on hair the color of pea soup. He bit back the groan it evoked and instead began with, "Tonks, wha--"

That's as far as he got because the valkyrie with the flashing eyes and puky green hair stuffed half a scone into his mouth. "Wotcher, Remus! No, don't thank me. It's my pleasure."

"Mm whm mm." Lupin was trying to talk, but actually, the scone was quite delicious, so he had to swallow rather than spit it out.

"Scones!" cried Sirius as he joined them. He grabbed one out of the box and took a generous bite. "Tonks, how sweet of you to share."

Tonks just smiled brightly at her cousin before throwing a disgruntled look at Lupin. "My landlady makes the best. She was delighted to have me share them with you boys."

Lupin swallowed the scone and successfully prevented himself from swiping the rest of his portion from Tonks' hand. "Nymphadora, how generous, but really, you don't have to waste your days off here."

"Nonsense, Remus," assured Tonks as she began waving the half-eaten scone in her hand so that the aroma, magically preserved, was wafting toward the werewolf. "I think this job needs a woman's touch."

"But I think I am quite capable of handling it alone," said Lupin as he deliberately loomed over the Auror.

"See, that's the basic problem here: a man thinking," she replied as she confronted him, neck craned in his looming presence.

"Have I missed something?" asked Sirius as he noticed the tension between the two. He'd never seen anyone get Lupin ruffled like this. "You sound like an old married couple."

The twin glares thrown his way almost made Sirius laugh, but instead he took the box of scones from Tonks, tucked it under his arm, and asked, "All right, what's the problem? I thought you finished the room last night."

"The bundimun needs to be removed this morning," said Lupin.

"And I'll do my side of the room, thank you," injected Tonks. "The door is in my territory if you remember."

"That's easily remedied," observed Lupin.

"What are you talking about?" asked Sirius as he began wolfing down another scone. "I'm taking a look at this room."

His quick flight up the stairs surprised Lupin and Tonks, but they were soon scrambling behind him. Tonks diverted Lupin's attention by tossing the remainder of his scone up in the air. As he juggled the morsel, Tonks managed to arrive at the room just behind Sirius while Lupin popped the rest of the scone into his mouth.

Sirius Black was staring at the ceiling where Lupin Land and Tonks Territory were clearly marked. He understood the source of contention immediately. "Well, there's your problem, Moony. You've got space divided all wrong. The lady always get the side of the bed closest to the loo."

With a quick flick of his wand, and another nibble of his scone, Sirius changed the configuration of the labels and began walking off. "Thanks for the scones, Tonks. Kreacher! Where are you, you miserable excuse for a house elf?"

Once he left, two heads simultaneously peered into the room from opposite directions. Their heads turned in synchrony to each other, but Tonks was the first one to turn away blushing. The room was now divided so that the line ran down the middle of the window and neatly divided the bed. True to his word, Sirius had marked the side closest to the bathroom as Tonks Territory.

"Nice symmetry," observed Lupin. The job didn't seem so daunting now that she was here. The box of scones attested to the fact she had come with a peace offering, though aggressively delivered. He could also see she had come fully prepared for another day of work.

"Fair division," agreed Tonks. The bed didn't seem so lonely with its current demarcation, but she wasn't going to say a word about it.

Lupin cleared his throat. He expected he'd regret this later, but while he wasn't going to ask her to remain, he no longer felt like sending Tonks on her way. He simply said, "I'll start on my side."

Tonks thought about turning on her heel and leaving him now that she had gotten her reprisal. But then she noticed a crumb of the scone on his goatee. He looked like a little boy who needed a feminine touch.

Tonks leaned forward and flicked the crumb off gently. "I'll do mine."

Lupin was again confused by her actions, but thought it best not to dwell on the turmoil she created in him. As they entered the room, Lupin then surprised her by saying, "I'm sorry about your hair. It should have been under your control by now."

His voice held sincere regret, but Tonks decided that a contrite Lupin would be easier to work with today. She had deliberately turned her hair to resemble pea soup just out of spite. She tied the bandana around her head and said, "I'll just cover it up."

They worked with quiet determination and within the hour Tonks and Lupin stood on opposite sides of the bed staring at the ceiling.

"The bundimun is all gone." Tonks was standing with her hands on her hips as she looked up.

"But the writing's still present, observed Lupin. "Have you made any attempts to erase yours?"

"Yeah, I've tried every variation of _evanesco_ I could think of," replied Tonks with a contemplative frown.

"Same here." He was fingering his chin as if considering counterspells when Snuffles quietly appeared at the door.

The dog barked in approval, which sent Tonks scrambling onto the bed with a squeal. Her attention had been on the ceiling. She tossed a pillow at him as he assumed human form and said, "Sirius, would you not do that?"

"Old habits," said the man with a shrug as he deftly caught the pillow. Then he turned to Lupin. "It looks nice. You should be comfortable here, Remus."

Lupin looked surprised. "Wait, I said I'd help get Order Headquarters established, but I can't impose beyond that."

"He's been sleeping on the floor in my room since we got to London," explained Sirius to Tonks with a roll of his eyes.

"It's a temporary arrangement," insisted Lupin.

"Moony, let me state the obvious. If I'm going to be stuck here, so are you," proclaimed Sirius as he faced down the taller man. "Besides, you'll be doing a lot of legwork for Dumbledore. London gives you a better central location than the lighthouse."

"Lighthouse?" asked Tonks.

"I do happen to own my own domicile," said Lupin a bit defensively. He might be poor, but the fact he wasn't completely indigent was a source of pride for him. "It's the Wolf Rock Lighthouse."

"How Scilly of you," said Tonks before she could help herself. She covered her mouth with her hand, then let it fall to explain, "Sorry, puns just fall out! I blame my dad! Er, anyway, I happen to know that lighthouse is in the Scilly Isles. Sorry."

Her revelation sent a prickling sensation through Lupin, but he shrugged it off to argue with Sirius. In the meantime, Tonks remained quiet as she remembered a task during her Auror training.

The men discussed the merits of Lupin staying at number twelve, the one in his usual serious tone while the other made a joke of it all. Tonks bit her lip to prevent her words, but to no avail. It was all her Dad's fault! "Oh, Merlin. A serious man had a silly friend or would that be a Scilly friend of a Sirius man?"

She wasn't surprised when her cousin swatted her head with a pillow. After noticing Lupin smiling at the action, she retaliated by knocking both men on the head with pillows. She knew she was in trouble when matching sly grins appeared on their faces.

"You can't gang up on me; I'm a girl," cried Tonks as she used her wand to build up her arsenal.

The men held their pillows, exchanged a quick glance, shrugged, and simultaneously assured each other, "She's an Auror."

They would bring up her profession! Tonks then addressed Sirius. "I'm your cousin! I'll tell my mum!"

"Right. Sorry, Moony, blood wins out," said Sirius with mock regret as both pummeled the hapless werewolf.

But Lupin, who had the most experience at facing uneven odds in pillow fights, responded with an effective volley. "Strategy over numbers I always say."

Feathers began flying to create a new mess in the room as pillows magically appeared. After each permutation of possible alliances had been exhausted, the members of the trio were soon collapsed in their place.

Lupin was sitting with his back against the headboard trying to catch his breath as he flicked his wand to eliminate the wafting feathers. Tonks somehow managed to be upside down with her legs on the headboard, but was holding her arms over her gut. She was recovering from a tickling spell Sirius had cast, which had ended their allegiance as she sent a cascade of pillows to attack her cousin. A pile of pillows on the foot of the bed fell away to reveal Sirius lying face down.

Lupin watched him emerge from his cushioned tomb and finally admitted with a laugh, "I surrender, Padfoot."

"This means you'll stay?" They could hear Sirius' muffled voice, but when he turned to look at Lupin, it was easy to read the plea in his eyes.

"Right, then," agreed Lupin before looking at the ceiling. He'd feel embarrassed if someone else saw the writing. "I suppose this room will do."

"Well, I've got more vermin to chase down. See you at lunch," called Sirius before leaping away as Snuffles.

"I think the scones made him hyper."

"Seriously," quipped Tonks.

She wasn't surprised when he smothered her with a pillow. "Mm mm mm."

Lupin lifted pillow. "Say again?"

"No more puns."

It was the giggle that made Lupin suspect her sincerity, but he shook his head and said, "Let's get to the next room on our list. Do you remember your herbology?"

Tonks sobered up. "My Mum's got quite the green thumb. I've known herbology since I was knee high to a garden gnome."

"Let's go."

- - - - - - - - - -

"This room belonged to a Seymore Black. He was an herboligist by hobby, but his private collection was filled with dangerous plants. The room hasn't been used since his disappearance fifty years ago," explained Lupin as they stood in front of an ornate green door.

"He just vanished?" asked Tonks.

"His wife, Jessica, appeared alone at breakfast, then left the house never to be seen again. But she did leave a message. Watch."

Tonks read the illuminated message that appeared on the door: On this path lies danger.

She felt a shiver creep up her spine at the polite warning. "Why bother cleaning this room up?"

"It's supposed to have a bay window with a magical view of the gardens at Windsor. It's also the only other suite with a bath. I thought it would be good for Arthur and Molly if we can get it in shape. Arthur said Molly would miss the country life at the Burrow, so I'm hoping this will compensate somewhat."

"Right," said Tonks as she pulled on her gloves that left her fingertips bare. "Pull a few weeds, trim back some branches, toss out any garden gnomes. No problem."

"No problem?" asked Lupin in the next instant.

They had no sooner stepped into the room before they were grabbed around the ankles and hung upside down. _Bop. Bop Bop._

"I didn't know you could bonzai a Whomping Willow." Tonks' voice held a note of wonder as the miniature willow tree on a high shelf suspended her as if a rubber band. Unlike Lupin, her head never touched the floor, however.

"Tonks, _ow_, would you, _ow_, please?" asked Lupin as the willow continued to tap his head on the floor. Not only was a branch around his ankles, but another had pinned his arms to his body.

"I told you that you were too bloody tall," remarked Tonks as she flicked her wand to immobilize the bonzai. She heard Lupin's head tap the floor one last time.

"You need to relax the branches," reminded Lupin as he remained suspended upside down. What else should he expect with her around?

"Oh, right," said Tonks as she immediately complied. "Oops!"

Her head hit the floor at the same time she heard Lupin's body land with a thump. He still had trouble getting out of the bonds around his torso.

"Hold still and I'll get you loose," muttered Tonks as she crawled to him. A quick flick removed the branch wrapped around him--as well as his shirt.

Lupin's relief at his release was short lived when he noticed his bare torso. No, it couldn't be happening. He was not lying on the floor, bare chested, with the scars on his body in full view of a young woman. His voice was harsh as he said, "Don't look at me."

Tonks turned her head and closed her eyes as she obeyed. She had caught sight of the scars on his torso and assumed they were the source of his discomfiture. She kept her mouth shut in the hopes that her silence wasn't making the situation more awkward for him.

Lupin located the long-sleeved Henley hanging on the branch of the willow. He quickly donned it, but couldn't face Tonks for a moment. He just stood there staring at the wall, catching his breath, and fully expecting her to make some smart remark.

Tonks ventured a peek to confirm Lupin was again fully dressed. She meekly offered, "I'm sorry, Remus, I--look, if one of us had to lose a shirt, better you than me is all I can say."

The utter sincerity of her confession brought a laugh out of him. She did understand his reluctance to have his body on display. "Rest assured, I won't retaliate in kind."

"Good, thanks," said Tonks, but again she was left feeling like a sexless glob of protein. Not that she wanted to flash Lupin or ever intended he view her _au natural_. She, of course, wasn't interested in his body in the least in that way. It was professional curiosity.

Then she caught sight of a lumpy figure emerging from the plants in the bay window. It glanced back at her in surprise, gave a muffled squeal, and ran off. She cleared her throat. "Let's get back to work. I just saw a garden gnome peaking out of the shrubbery."

"What gnome?" asked Lupin as he brought his attention back to the room and out of his wandering thoughts about a topless Tonks.

"The one that went 'nih'."

"Gnomes don't say 'nih.'"

"This one did," insisted Tonks.

Lupin refused to argue further. He also put on his gloves and said, "We're going to need a number of buckets."

He flicked his wand to transform some empty vases upon which Tonks applied the infinity charm. The gnome hunt among the self-fertilising shrubbery was interrupted by attacks from several other plants.

"Watch out!" called Lupin as Tonks was almost grabbed by dark, red spines that resembled canines. "That's a venomous tentacula."

"Actually, there are six. Collect or kill?" asked Tonks.

"Collect three, kill the rest. Sprout can only handle so many plants, even as bonzais," replied Lupin.

Once that task was completed, Lupin said, "Why don't you catalog some of these plants while I chase down those gnomes? Then we can do a sweep to destroy the ones that can't be saved, barring further attack, of course."

"Right, this shouldn't take long," said Tonks. She'd rather leave the gnome chasing to Lupin. She'd had her fill de-gnoming her mother's garden as a child.

Tonks set about her work with deliberation. Occasionally she would glance up to see Lupin spinning a gnome efficiently before sending it with a clang into the bucket. She could swear she heard the metallic echo of _nih_ but Lupin continued to deny it.

"Are you a bonzai flitterbloom or a bonzai Devil's Snare?" muttered Tonks to a viny plant.

"Feed me."

Tonks turned her head at the sound of the voice. Lupin was across the room, but perhaps the acoustics had thrown his voice. "Getting hungry, Professor?"

Lupin turned to Tonks and said, "I didn't say anything."

Tonks looked at him with a puzzled frown. "I thought you said, 'Feed me.'"

Lupin shook his head. "You know, hearing voices is not a good sign."

"I know that," replied Tonks a bit peevishly before turning away to continue her evaluation of the viny plant. "Remus, toss me a gnome, would you?"

"Here you are," said Lupin as he tossed her his latest capture.

Tonks grabbed the surly looking gnome and levitated him toward the vine. The plant immediately grabbed the gnome, but released it when Tonks sent a light its way. "Devil's Snare. Thank you, into the bucket now."

But as the gnome was flying back through the air, the voice was louder. "Feed me."

This time Lupin turned to Tonks and asked, "Did you say that?"

"No, it was coming from, uh, there!"

Tonks and Lupin pushed back some honking daffodils, took care to avoid the biting geraniums, and found an odd looking plant. The plant was large with only one flower resembling an enormous pansy.

"Feed me."

"What is that?" asked Tonks.

"Hm, the pot has a word. Audrey?" Then Lupin felt the excitement rising in him. "Do you see the markings on the petals? The flower looks like--"

"A man's face," ended Tonks. "Bloody hell, Remus, get back. That's a carnivorous _viola wittrockianus_!

"I know, isn't it amazing?" said Lupin in wonder. "I've always wanted to see one."

"Amazing? What part of carnivorous don't you understand?"

"It's not mobile, Tonks. As long as one stands at least a meter away, it's safe to observe. Besides, it hasn't been fed in at least fifty years. It must be rather weak."

"And hungry! Look, for my sake, just get away from it," pleaded Tonks. It didn't look weak to her, it looked like-- "Remus!"

Apparently Seymore Black had developed a hybrid that could move for a long tentacle reached out to grab not Lupin, but Tonks.

"_Immobilus_," called Lupin, but it only slowed it down. He didn't want to kill the plant if he didn't have to, so he set a spell to give him time to think, but then he remembered an obscure fact.

"Tonks, do you have any control back over your form? The color purple is noxious to it," said Lupin. He was holding the _immobilus_ spell continuously on the plant, but Tonks was inching toward its mouth.

"Yeah, I can change it, but what shade of purple?" she asked as she tried to keep her wits while being drawn toward the enormous pansy.

"What color? Purple," repeated Lupin.

"Well, is it violet or lavender or orchid or grape or lilac or mauve or puce?"

"Tonks, this is no time for the color wheel. Try them all."

Tonks then scrunched her face. It wasn't just her hair changing color, it was her whole body. Every thread of hair, every exposed dermal cell took on a shade of purple.

Lupin was actually impressed by the mosaic she presented. Just as he felt the _immobilus_ spell slipping away from him, the plant swung Tonks high into the air to cast her neatly into its mouth.

"EEIEIEEEEEEIIIEEEIIII!"

"Oooooh!"

Tonks literally fell into Lupin's arms when the plant released her as it suddenly shriveled up and died. Lupin looked down to find he was holding a fuzzy headed eggplant. "Tonks?"

"Well, I'm not a bouncing bulb," she muttered before scrunching her face to get back her normal skin color.

But Lupin had relaxed his hold on her and she almost fell out of his arms as he observed, "You killed it!"

Tonks clutched at him suddenly and was relieved when he put her on her feet. "Yeah, well, you didn't specify what shade of purple would stun it."

Lupin was prodding the plant with his wand. "Completely dessicated. Ah, well, I can still write this up. What shade of purple do you think was deadly?"

Tonks put her hands on her hips in consternation, but she began calmly enough. "I really wasn't monitoring its reactions, Professor. I was TOO BLOODY SCARED OF BEING EATEN!"

"Right, I'd say puce." Lupin quickly scribbled his note and mumbled, "The _langlock_ spell I cast would have kept you from being ingested, by the way."

Tonks felt her eyelid twitching. "And you didn't think to tell me?"

"Thought you'd be able to stun it into submission," offered Lupin. "Well, this whole episode has left me peckish. Do you think Sirius left us any scones?"

Tonks just shook her head and began to walk off in a huff. Men.

Then she heard Lupin say, "Ah, good, you're hair's back to pink. I like it better that way."

All right, maybe sometimes men could say the right thing. Lupin never realized that his off hand compliment had saved his lunch.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"How many plants can one room hide?" moaned Tonks. It was late afternoon and they had been battling every mobile plant that had been hiding from the carnivorous pansy. The monster plant had been on a vegetarian diet of late it seemed.

"I think we're just about--Ouch!"

Lupin turned and stared incredulously at Tonks. She couldn't have just spanked him, but there she was grinning broadly at him.

Rather than admit guilt, she pointed at a scarlet tendril that was snaking away. "I do believe there's the culprit."

Lupin followed the trail, opened the closet door and realized his mistake. He was soon tight in the embrace of a willowy tree. The trunk had an exaggerated feminine form and he was practically being smothered by its mammarous protrusions. The tree seemed to be making little cooing sounds as he struggled to get free.

"Having problems, Professor?" asked Tonks sweetly. This tree was no killer so she wasn't too concerned. Then she noticed a tendril trying to literally slide down the back of Lupin's jeans. "Hey, back off there."

The tendril retracted as soon as she swatted it with her wand. Tonks explained, "It looks like you've activated a dormant Trollop Tree, Remus."

At this point, Lupin had extracted himself from being smothered, no thanks to Tonks, but was constantly dodging the many arms of the trunk. "I think I figured that out. How do you make it sleep again?"

"Well, one way would be to, ahem," began Tonks, now blushing. She tried to explain again, "If you simulate human, uh, stimulation, uh. Actually, I could leave you two alone for--"

"Oh, no, you're not going anywhere, Nymphadora. What's the other option?" asked Lupin as he began tying the branches together in between slapping them away from their inspection of his body.

"Frisky, isn't she? But I think alcohol will do the trick." Tonks summoned a jug of fire whisky to her hand from the stash that Sirius had shown her earlier and began dumping it into the planter. _Glug, glug. _"This will take longer to work."

She noticed the Trollop Tree branches had untangled and caught Lupin in their embrace again although he managed to extract one arm. Her amusement fell away when she felt a branch wrapping around her waist, but this one was blue. The other door of the closet now stood open and it was pulling her back into it.

"Remus!" Tonks wand arm was entrapped while another blue branch lifted her t-shirt up, efficiently flashing her perky bits at the Professor as it tried to remove her shirt.

Lupin blinked at the sight of the contents of the periwinkle bra, then used his long reach to pull on the branch. It released her shirt as he directed, "You've got a Masher. Kick it!"

"Where?" she asked as she turned to try to find a target. Her eyes opened wide at the sight of the Masher's embellishments.

"Where do you think?" asked Lupin as he finally felt the Trollop Tree loosen her grip when she fell into a drunken stupor.

"Oh, right," said Tonks as she kicked with both feet. The low toned grunt emitted by the Masher before it fell dormant was quite satisfying.

Lupin and Tonks wound up sitting on the floor back to back catching their breath as their latest assault ended.

Then Tonks suddenly screamed, "What kind of pervert was this Seymore? Did you see the size of that, that thing on the Masher! And I'm related to this Noble House of Black? Augh!"

"The plants exaggerate the human form, that's all," said Lupin. Actually, he much preferred Tonks' proportions over the heavily loaded Trollop Tree, but he didn't think he could mention that to her without being obliterated at the moment.

Lupin stood up and offered a hand to Tonks, although he immediately averted his gaze. She set to tugging down her t-shirt before letting herself be pulled up. She knew Lupin hadn't been after payback, but this was not the way she wanted her body revealed to him. Not that it mattered; she was a sexless person to him.

"You know, it is a beautiful view," said Lupin as he stood and let his gaze fall on the view outside the window. With the jungle no longer obscuring the view, they could see the bright flowers of the garden.

Tonks came to stand by Lupin and just let herself bask in the sense of peace. She nodded her head, "You were right. Molly's gonna like this room."

- - - - - - - -

"You have the inventory?" asked Lupin as they sat on the floor at the end of the day. They had stopped for a light supper, then continued working.

Tonks unrolled a parchment. "Bucket One: Bonzais, twenty-three species identified, ten unknown. Destination: Professor Sprout. Bucket Two: garden gnomes, three dozen. Destination: USA Relocation program." A faint 'nih' sound was coming from that bucket until Tonks tapped it with her wand. She looked up to say, "Really, those Yanks have no idea what they're asking for."

"It's the work of the Red Hat Society. They put a spell on the red hat they perch on the gnomes heads that practically makes them statues," explained Lupin.

Tonks still shivered, but continued her accounting. "Bucket Three: Flowering plants, thirty-seven varieties. Destination: Beauxbatons. Bucket Four: Exotic Fruits, eight species. Destination: Sturgis Podmore. Bucket Five: Masher and Trollop. Destination: Hog's Head Pub. Hey, you're not sending them to Dung, or you?"

"Of course not," said Lupin easily. "They're going to the barman there. Trust me, Aberforth will know just what to do with them."

Tonks shot him a skeptical glance, but further argument was prevented when Sirius poked his head into the room. He gave an approving whistle. "What a view! Good, good, it looks like you're finished here. Thanks, Tonks, and, good night!"

Sirius had pulled Tonks up from her seat on the floor and was literally showing her the door. "Hey, wait up. What's the rush?"

"Rush? Why, I'm sure you want to get some rest for the busy day tomorrow," replied Sirius as he continued to firmly escort Tonks to the door.

Lupin had been following them quietly. He was suspicious about the way Sirius suddenly wanted Tonks out of the house. "Padfoot, you have plans tonight?"

Sirius stopped as they reached the front door and laughed. "Plans? Me? I can't have any plans; I'm stuck here, remember?"

Tonks turned to her cousin and added her voice. "Sirius, we can tell you're up to something. You're not thinking of going out, are you?"

"No, I don't think that's it," said Lupin as he began to recognize a familiar look in his friend's eyes. "You have a woman coming over, don't you? I knew it!"

Lupin threw up his hands and raked them through his hair. Tonks felt immediate empathy with the lycanthrope.

"Sirius, is this true?"

"Oh, all right. Emmeline is coming over, but it's not what you think."

"Oh no?" asked Lupin skeptically.

"She's giving Snuffles a bath." Sirius was literally rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"No, I don't want to hear any more," said Lupin calmly. "You know, you could have waited until I had the other room ready."

"Moony, I've been waiting fourteen years!" Sirius truly sounded desperate.

"So another day couldn't hurt," said Lupin.

"That's what you think. Besides, Emmeline can't stay all night; she's got guard duty at the Ministry," said Sirius in an offended tone. As if he would be so inconsiderate! Besides, Lupin could always sleep on the kitchen benches or try out one of the new rooms.

"Perfect," said Lupin as he walked to the door with Tonks. "Good night."

The door closed behind them, but they stood standing there for a moment, just long enough for the sky to burst open and begin raining.

"Perfect," repeated Lupin gloomily as they stood under the eaves to avoid getting wet.

"An old pattern of behavior?" asked Tonks.

"All too familiar," agreed Lupin, a bit surprised at the sympathetic tone in Tonks' voice.

"Yeah, that's why I'm glad I don't share a flat anymore. Hated getting home dead tired from Auror training only to find strange men hopping in and out of my roommates' beds. Thank goodness for Muggle bookstores that stay open late."

"Know where the closest one is?" asked Lupin with a glimmer of hope.

"Yeah, there's one on my way home. Come on," said Tonks.

Before Lupin could act, Tonks had conjured a rainbow umbrella to her hand and opened it.

"Allow me?" offered Lupin as he took it.

"Always the gentleman," murmured Tonks as they began walking.

"Actually, it's only sensible that I carry it since I'm taller, but my motives are selfish," he said as he tapped his nose. "You swatted my nose when you unfurled it."

"I've been told I should wear a sign that says: Mortal Peril."

"That's rather mean spirited," said Lupin as he caught an undertone in her voice. "I was thinking of you as a valkyrie."

"A valkyrie?" she asked as she punched his shoulder. A Viking warrior woman? Then after taking note of her action, said, "Right, I can see where you'd think that."

"But now I'd say a better label is Mostly Harmless."

"Like the description of Earth in the Hitchhiker's Guide? " blurted Tonks with a laugh. "Oh, sorry, it's--"

"One of my favorite Muggle books," completed Lupin as they turned to stare at each other, both finding it odd that they would share something as obscure as a Muggle book. "My mother was Muggle-born."

"Muggle-born father. Got my Mum blasted off the family tree for that one. You can see it in the drawing room," explained Tonks as she moved a little closer to Lupin under the umbrella as the rain turned into a real downpour.

"So you have an affinity for books?" asked Lupin.

"Get it from my dad. He's interested in languages, oral and written," began Tonks.

"And the preservation of puns?"

Tonks laughed, "Absolutely devoted. I love being around books, so when I wasn't creating mischief at Hogwarts, I spent my time in the library. I even carved my initials into my spot, the table under the window, along the-- "

"Right edge?" asked Lupin. "And there was another set of initials carved there?"

"Yes, that's what inspired me. It was--" Tonks stopped as she realized the connection. "MWPP? Moony? Padfoot? You carved those? "

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. Schoolboy nicknames for the Marauders," confirmed Lupin. "I remember checking the table when I taught at Hogwarts. There was a new set there: NT."

"Yeah, that's me," replied Tonks. She never had a cool nickname. People called her names, but it wasn't out of affection. "So, was there anything significant to the order of appearance?"

"Ascending potential for mischief," explained Lupin.

"I find it hard to believe you were the most innocent of pulling pranks, Professor."

"Actually, I was low man because I more careful against getting caught. Sirius and James didn't give a care about how many detentions got on their record." No, his friends were from notable families. A boy who had few career prospects, on the other hand, had to think about such things.

"So did you Marauders spend your time planning escapades in the library?"

"No, I spent more time there than my mates because they'd be in detention, so I left the mark for us all." Lupin then suddenly laughed as he remembered an incident. "And when they did manage to join me there, chaos would ensue. One time I was barred from the library for a week by Madam Pince. She didn't appreciate the literary opera we had set in motion one afternoon."

Tonks said a bit smugly, "She tossed me out for two weeks after I managed to create a domino effect with the bookshelves."

"Now that's impressive; I grant you the field," acquiesced Lupin.

"You would have done the same if you'd caught Filch snogging Pince."

"I really didn't need that image in my mind," said Lupin.

"It was a traumatic experience for me at the time. Didn't even want to think about kissing a fellow until after I got out of Hogwarts." Not that the boys were lining up for her. The few that showed an interest wanted her to look like a Trollop Tree, not Nymphadora Tonks, so she quickly set them straight.

Lupin held back his surprise at her confession. He assumed all normal teenagers spent their youth answering the call of their surging hormones. But if you weren't normal, if you lived with a chronic illness that drained you once a month, there was little energy left over for anything but recovery.

"Some people are meant to be late bloomers," offered Lupin. And others are destined to be alone, he thought.

"Yeah, that's what my Mum always says, but then she starts giving me all these metaphors about plants. Name a flower and I've been compared to it," sighed Tonks.

Her comment succeeded in changing the topic back to the day's events. They were soon in front of the bookstore as the rain petered off to a light drizzle.

Lupin offered the umbrella back to Tonks as he moved to stand under the canopy in front of the bookstore. He should offer to walk her home, but then thought against it. She'd just find a polite way to decline. "Thanks for sharing."

Tonks accepted the handle and stood there awkwardly for a moment. Something inside of her wanted to invite Lupin to her flat; it was just another short walk away. She knew what it felt like to be kicked out of your place while a roommate had fun with a lover. But Lupin would probably find a polite excuse to refuse. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Good night, Nymphadora," said Lupin as she turned to walk away.

She turned quickly to correct him, but he had already entered the bookstore. She made a promise to herself. "I'll train you yet, Professor."

- - - - - - - - - -

Tonks settled into sleep very quickly. It would take too much energy not to think about Lupin, so she just let the thoughts drift in and out. And the images. Scars. What was the true extent of his scars?

They had worked well together today. Actually, they always worked well together; it was their personalities that clashed. It was oddly comforting to realize that Lupin had some of the same hang ups that she did. She thought about the bed in the room not looking so lonely this morning and chuckled. She wondered if Lupin would stray into Tonks Territory or stay firmly in Lupin Land.

Long after Tonks fell asleep, Lupin crept in quietly to number twelve and found Sirius completely lost to sleep. He seemed happy, peaceful, almost like the young man he had been before he was sent to Azkaban. Instead of tucking himself away into the bedroll on the floor, Lupin walked to the room he and Tonks had cleaned this morning.

He'd need new bedcovers, he thought as he lay staring at the ceiling. The bedcovers had the musty odor of long disuse, but as he turned his face closer to her side, he captured the faint flowery scent of her perfume from where she had lain after the pillow fight. He thought about walking with a young lady, protected from the rain under the umbrella.

He closed his eyes and found that his heart didn't feel empty as was his custom. Instead, there was a warm feeling growing there. It was a feeling he was loathe to quench. A man could dream, couldn't he? And although he fell asleep in Lupin Land, he was soon sprawled into Tonks Territory.

_End of Chaper_

Minor edits.  
Author Notes:

I hope this answers some questions about both Lupin and Tonks in this version of their story. I don't think that his chronic illness allowed him to express the same urges that others consider typical. My interpretation is that he avoided anything but fantasy. Likewise, Tonks didn't seem very sophisticated in her approach to romance. It seemed like an all or nothing sort of experience for both of them.

Thanks to HP Lexicon for information on a variety of plants. The Trollop Tree and Masher are not canon, however. I think that was obvious.

References in this story abound. There's Monty Python's Knights of Nih, although in this case it's the Gnomes of Nih. And I'm probably spelling it wrong. The Little Shop of Horrors contributed Seymore's name and the carnivorous pansy. Also, Jessica and her message is a reference to Dune. Finally, there is something called the Red Hat Society but they don't go around turning gnomes into statues...Or do they?

I thought it was time that Lupin and Tonks began to understand each other and see some common ground. The story is progressing in a matter of days, but given their adventures in housecleaning, they've spend significant time with each other. But don't expect them to be kissing any time soon.

Thanks for reading, thanks for reviewing, thanks for putting up with puns. I appreciate your forbearance and hope you find the story worth your time.


	4. Soothing the Savage Beast

Summary: Creatures abound today for Remus and Tonks.

**NYMPH vs WOLF**  
_**Soothing the Savage Beast**_

_Tonks' Flat_

Nymphadora Tonks woke up to find she was eager for another day of housecleaning at Grimmauld Place.

"That does it; I've gone mad," she muttered to herself as she got her things together. Bandana? Check. Goggles? Check. Gloves? Check. Bra on? Double check. "Fully loaded and completely loopy."

"Interesting choice of words," said her reflection as she adjusted her hair color.

Tonks frowned at herself and crossed her arms over her chest. "My reasons for helping out at number twelve have nothing to do with learning more about Remus Lupin."

She pointed a finger at her reflection as she continued, "In fact, Lupin has no part in my motivation to spend my days off housecleaning."

She tilted her nose upward and insisted, "Lupin holds no interest for me beyond the fact that he's a colleague."

Tonks nodded firmly at her reflection. "Remus Lupin is in no way an issue for me."

Mad-eye Moody, on the other hand, was.

Just as she finished her self-admonition, an owl pecked at her window. It dropped a bright yellow envelope to her before darting away. Tonks immediately recognized it as an Auror summons. She opened it quickly and groaned.

_Tonks,_

_You've got to intercept Moody.  
Proceed with immediate haste to the Kings Mall Shopping Centre._

_KS_

_PS. We're counting on you, Tonks. He'd turn the rest of us into ferrets._

Tonks hung her head, "Mad-eye! What are you up to now?"

She had the distinction of being the only apprentice not to be transformed into a bouncing ferret by the esteemed Auror. She wasn't sure why Moody liked her; he called her cheeky and impertinent often enough. Thus she carried the dubious honor of being the teacher's pet of a rather odd man. Somehow that made sense.

Tonks suppressed the urge to send a message to Lupin. She had to get to Moody immediately. With luck she'd be done in a jiffy. Tonks disappeared with a pop.

- - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

Remus Lupin couldn't believe how long he'd slept. He checked his watch to find it was almost nine in the morning when he suddenly sat up in bed. He rubbed his eyes, then wondered why Tonks hadn't woken him. No, that was the dream. He wondered why Tonks' arrival this morning had failed to wake him. That would be reality.

And his reality loomed near. Tonight would be full moon, so of course he was feeling more drained than normal as he fought the emerging wolf within. Tonight he would leave for Wolf Rock, but today, there was work to do.

Lupin stood up, straightened his clothing a bit, but decided to see if there were other signs of life in the house before a shower and change. Tonks should have been here--unless she had decided she'd met her commitment. The Masher Tree seemed to really upset her yesterday. Or perhaps she was tired of associating with certain elements in the house, such as the resident werewolf. She'd be aware of the waxing moon.

Lupin walked down the stairs but didn't hear a sound. All was quiet at Order headquarters and the gloomy atmosphere was back in place. No Tonks.

He checked the kitchen, but as soon as his eyes fell on the table, Lupin bellowed, "Sirius Black!"

- - - - - - - - - -

_Kings Mall_

Tonks spent a half hour tracking down Moody. The department stores of the shopping centre were deserted except for the janitors at this time of the morning, but the area to search was large. She came upon a series of burnt out vending machines and used them as the trail. A quick _reparo_ fixed most of them.

Why Mad-eye had decided to torch a train ride, a sweet vendor, a drink vendor, and one that offered odd little dolls with fuzzy hair called trolls, she wasn't sure. Perhaps he was disgusted that Muggles wouldn't know a troll if they saw one?

"Wotcher, Mad-eye," called Tonks as she spotted her quarry. "Out on a mission?"

"Tonks, good, good. You can help me. Now watch and listen," said the aged Auror as he pulled Tonks back from walking across the corridor at the mall. "It's clearly a demonic possession."

Moody stomped across and as he passed a storefront, a voice said, "Have you checked your weight today?"

Moody turned with his wand, but Tonks quickly stopped him. "Mad-eye, wouldn't your eye tell you if it were possessed?"

"It's been a bit off lately," murmured Moody. "Ever since that fool Crouch used it."

Tonks nodded sagely. Moody still needed some time to recover from his months spent locked in a chest. The experience had done his paranoia no good. "I'll have you know that your target is just a Muggle scale for weighing people."

"Judging their souls, is it?"

"No, it's gauging their body mass," explained Tonks.

"But it talked when I just approached it."

"I believe they call that a motion sensor. You move close to it and when it detects you, it'll appear to talk, but it's like the wireless network."

Moody looked at the device suspiciously again. He glanced back along his trail and said, "Well, at least I took care of the evil lot behind me."

"Afraid not, Mad-eye, you've been vandalising these shops for the past hour I'd say."

"Really? Are you sure? Because that little metal train was possessed with a dozen children. I could hear them laughing."

"It's a ride, Mad-eye. Children put in their coin and the train moves up and down."

"Are you certain it's not an insidious plan by the Death Eaters to lure Muggles to their doom?"

"No, it's an insidious plan by the Muggle business guild to lure the lot into spending money," assured Tonks. "Come on, let's go outside. If you want to chase Dark Arts, you can help us get the rooms cleaned out at Order Headquarters."

They apparated outside the store into an unusually bright day for London. Tonks looked up at the blue sky and smiled. Moody looked up at the blue sky and roared, "Hippogriff!"

"What?" asked Tonks in surprise. Was Moody now mental? But then she caught sight of the wingspan, the beak, and the horse's hind end. "Blimey, you're right!"

"We'll have to call in the Department for Control of Magical Creatures."

"Wait, Mad-eye. Didn't Sirius have a hippogriff?" asked Tonks. "I think his name was Buckbeak." .

"True, but Black set it free before coming to London. Order Headquarters is no place for a large animal," said Moody. "Here, help me cast an illusion. A hot air balloon should work."

Tonks lent her aid to Moody and said, "We'll have to lure him down. We can't call Sirius, though, but I bet Lupin would know if it is Buckbeak."

"I'll send for him," responded Moody. "Lucky thing I was making my rounds this morning."

Tonks couldn't prevent the roll of her eyes as she wished Lupin were here now. He was probably accustomed to dealing with situations created by one Sirius Black.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

Sirius awoke when he heard his mother's portrait begin its ranting. He thought it was Tonks arriving, but when he shut the curtains on the portrait, he still heard a loud voice emanating from the kitchen.

"PADFOOT! GET IN HERE!"

Sirius yawned and absently scratched behind his ear. Really, you'd think Lupin would be more considerate than to berate him so early in the morning. The last bastion of the Noble House of Black cinched his dressing robe and made a regal entrance into the kitchen.

"You have a problem, Moony?" asked Sirius when he entered.

"Problem? You're the one with the problem. What do you see here on the kitchen table?

Sirius peered over Lupin's shoulder. Oh, that. He kept a sober tone as he replied, "Looks like soap scum."

"Yes, very good, knew there was a reason they let you graduate from Hogwarts." Lupin took a breath before continuing. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but in that soap scum, do you see the impression of the backside of a human body?"

Sirius didn't bother to look, he just shrugged. "Could be. You were always better at seeing the patterns than I was, Moony."

"Sirius, I can appreciate your desperation, believe me, but did you have to go from sexually deprived to sexually depraved in one fell swoop?"

"Transitions are your expertise, not mine," replied Sirius blandly.

"Sirius! On the kitchen table?" Lupin pointed at the abused area and chided, "We eat off of that surface."

"Look, we had no other options, Moony. Emmeline was getting Snuffles all nice and clean, so I had to transform to tell her how grateful I was. Before I know it she has me on the kitchen table," said Sirius defensively. "And as a gentlemen I felt compelled to accommodate the lady's wishes. Besides, two adults couldn't fit into the small tub"

"What tub?" asked Lupin.

Sirius walked around the table and spotted the tub hidden from view. He cleared his throat before saying, "I'll just go empty this."

"You didn't clean up after yourself?" asked Lupin as he came to peer around. "Oh, this is disgusting!"

"We got distracted," explained Sirius.

"Say no more."

"But you don't understand. She got all soapy, so we had to go upstairs to rinse off, then we got distracted again, well, a few more times, actually."

"BUT THE KITCHEN TABLE!"

"You're such a prude, Moony. Haven't you ever--wait. You mean you've never? Ever?"

"I certainly wouldn't on the kitchen table!"

"Whew. For a moment there I thought you were a virgin," sighed Sirius with a quick wipe of his forehead.

Lupin just closed his eyes and kept his mouth shut. His sexual experience, or lack thereof, was not the issue here. "Look, let's get this mess cleaned up before Tonks shows up."

"I bet Tonks would understand," muttered Sirius.

Then a commotion from upstairs caught their attention. The sound of a veritable stampede was reverberating through the house.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's your house; don't you know?" asked Lupin. The hackles at the back of his neck were rising and he was visited with an impulse to transform into the werewolf for his own protection. "Sirius, you didn't keep any strange pets, did you? Other than Buckbeak, of course."

"We let Buckbeak go at Land's End," reminded Sirius, but began walking toward the end of the hallway that led to the set of stairs leading to a tower and its sole room.

"He'd not be able to find the house on his own even if he did come looking for you," said Lupin with a note of concern. Sirius had released Buckbeak when he came to stay with Lupin for a few days at the lighthouse to avoid imprisoning him at Grimauld Place. Had the hippogriff come looking for his old companion?

"Buckbeak is probably happy in the country chasing down stoats," offered Sirius with a shrug. They reached the landing that would lead to Mrs. Black's room as the last rumble faded away. "The noise has stopped, but this was clearly the source."

"I thought we were going to keep this room sealed," said Lupin. Again he had the uncomfortable feeling that he'd feel safer as a werewolf. Sirius had been very stubborn about avoiding the room.

"Kreacher keeps undoing the ward we put on it. Perhaps it's time I found out what Mummy Dearest was up to while I was a guest at Azkaban?"

Lupin nodded and they both drew their wands. Before they put a foot on the stairs, they heard a cacophony of sounds just beyond the door: honking, hissing, growling, an eerie human laugh.

"Oh, Merlin, she couldn't have!" Sirius glared at the door, shook his head in disbelief, then wiped a hand across his face. His distress was clear. "I think she finally did it. She got her fondest wish."

"And that would be?"

"A miniature magical menagerie."

Lupin was astounded by the implication. The room could be filled with all manner of dangerous fauna. But further contemplation was interrupted by the appearance of a Patronus that he immediately recognized as Moody's badger. The message was delivered only for Lupin to hear.

_Badger to Buckbeak._

"I've got to go, Sirius. Here, give me that," said Lupin as he roughly unwrapped the dressing gown from Sirius.

"Ay, what!"

"Don't do anything without me," called Lupin as he dashed out of the house with the robe over his shoulder. He thought clearly about the image of the place the Patronus had transmitted and disapparated as soon as he stepped outside the threshold.

Sirius stood there in nothing but his boxers for a moment. He'd gladly give Lupin the shirt off his back, but it wasn't like Lupin to ever ask him for something, let alone just whisk it away. "Well, I hope you put it to good use, Moony."

Sirius trotted back up the stairs to get some more rest. Emmeline had really wiped him out.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Kings Mall_

"Moody, what's this about Buckbeak," asked Lupin as soon as he appeared beside Moody.

"Wotcher, Remus," called Tonks from behind.

Lupin turned in surprise and was suddenly self-conscious that he still wore yesterday's clothes. Moody hadn't mentioned Tonks was with him. He quickly gathered his composure while surreptitiously casting a grooming spell as he swiped a hand through his hair. "Good morning, Tonks. So this is where you've been?"

"I get all the special jobs," said Tonks with a nod. "What do you think?"

"Is it Buckbeak?" asked Moody as he pointed upward. He released the illusion to reveal it to Lupin.

Lupin drew his eyes away from Tonks' bright smile and peered at the winged form circling in the air. He donned the dressing gown he had been carrying over his shoulder that had the Black family crest after a quick adjustment for fit. Then he surprised the Aurors by bringing his fingers to his lips and emitting a shrill whistle.

The hippogriff hovered for a moment before streaking to the ground in a rapid descent. Lupin confirmed, "It's Buckbeak."

The hippogriff landed gracefully, but ruffled his feathers when he caught sight of Lupin rather than Black on the ground. Lupin executed a graceful bow and began to speak quietly.

Lupin held out his arm so that Buckbeak could catch the scent of his familiar companion from the sleeve. "You're looking for Sirius, aren't you? Miss him? Yes, he does have that effect."

Lupin was now approaching Buckbeak and began stroking the wings gently as he spoke. Tonks couldn't take her eyes off of the graceful movement of his hands, the elegant fingers offering a soothing touch.

Moody stomped closer to the hippogriff, but shook his head. "Order Headquarters is no place for a winged creature. Where will we put him?"

"We might have just the thing. It looks like we'll need to clear out Mrs. Black's old room in the tower after all. We found evidence that she was harboring a miniature zoo in there. I wouldn't be surprised if the room is equipped to tend to the needs of a variety of animals, given that we can clear it, of course."

"We'll both be there to help," offered Tonks immediately. Moody needed something constructive to do with his time off before he became a menace to the Muggle world. "But how do we get him home?"

"I remember a similar incident, but it was hundreds of years ago." Moody's eye was spinning as he told the tale. "A lady escorted a hippogriff out of a hostile Muggle town by riding it like a horse. What was her name?"

"Ah, yes, Lady Godiva," said Lupin, then saw a rosy pink blush rising on Tonks. He couldn't resist temptation. "Oh, I see you're familiar with the details of the story, Tonks."

"I am quite aware of Godiva's bizarre habits," said Tonks primly. "And I have no intention of emulating her."

"But it's the perfect distraction, Tonks," insisted Moody. "No one would notice that the horse was in fact a hippogriff if--"

"Mad-eye, I am not riding Buckbeak buck naked through town!"

"Tempermental, isn't she?" murmured Moody to Lupin.

"I've noticed," agreed Lupin, but the way Tonks was swatting her wand against the palm of her hand was a clear sign he needed to offer a constructive comment. "But what about a mounted Muggle police?"

The swatting stopped as she looked up at Buckbeak. She quickly wrapped her bandana around her hair before donning gloves. She tapped her wand to her shoulder and suddenly appeared in full uniform of Metropolitan police, including the equestrian helmet with the red and white checkered band. "That could work. Now we transform Buckbeak into a horse."

"Allow me," said Moody. The hippogriff shrank a bit and his wings folded into his body. Buckbeak emitted a squawk of displeasure until Lupin began stroking his neck and speaking in a soothing voice.

"Good boy, steady there," cooed Tonks as she approached Buckbeak and bowed.

Lupin looked around for something she could transform into tack and pulled an old newspaper out of a trash bin. Tonks transfigured it into regulation gear for mounted police, using a strip to create a loose bridle. Buckbeak seemed willing to accept this as Lupin continued to stroke his neck.

The creature seemed to be calm, so she climbed on his back. "Nice pony."

Obviously Buckbeak didn't like being called a pony because he reared once, then started to race away with Tonks bouncing on the mount, trying desperately to get her feet into the stirrups.

"Ooo, ouch, ow..."

"_Immobilus_," called Moody while Lupin apparated to the pair. The hippogriff came to a sudden stop, but Tonks went flying over the shoulder.

Lupin found himself grabbing onto any part of the Auror he could access, until he saw her blush. He quickly readjusted his handhold on her body in hopes that she wouldn't resort to slapping him. Instead Tonks found her feet and took a deep breath.

"Remus, it looks like you'll have to ride with me. I can't wear that robe over this uniform. Just mount up and cast a disillusionment charm."

"What?" asked Lupin. He bent to speak to Tonks. "I'm too old for this, Tonks. I haven't ridden a mount since Sirius decided we should take the Beauxbatons Abraxans for a joy ride."

"And when were you at Beauxbatons?" asked Tonks with curiosity.

"Summer holiday after sixth year. Lily Evans was visiting a friend in France and James Potter dragged the lot of us with him to spy on her."

"I believe the term is stalking," offered Tonks.

"No, stalking applies when the girl doesn't want the attention. Anyway, I couldn't sit down for three days after that escapade."

"The Abraxans are giants in comparison. Look, you're the only one who can keep Buckbeak in check," said Tonks. "I'll enhance the cushioning charm."

"Tonks has a point, Lupin. Better you suffering a sore bum than her suffering a broken neck," declared Moody, thus effectively ending the argument. "I'll cast the disillusionment charm and monitor your progress to Order headquarters in case you have any trouble."

Lupin reluctantly tucked away his wand and mounted behind Tonks after she adjusted the saddle. He sat a bit stiffly and uncomfortably, but more from the fact that he wanted to avoid touching her. For her part, Tonks was relieved when she felt Lupin slip behind her. She could feel the warmth from his body. Then she felt Lupin's hands fluttering from her shoulders to her waist as if trying to decide where to hold on.

"Hang on to my waist, Remus, " offered Tonks. The she squirmed as his hands fell into position and admonished, "And don't tickle."

Tickling was not what was on his mind as his arms went around her waist. She made him feel rather gangly and awkward. They were soon walking at a steady gait, but Tonks sat with a rather stiff posture. Lupin finally murmured, "Just lean back. Fair exchange."

Tonks was glad that he couldn't see the blush on her face, but she followed his suggestion. She relaxed into him, which actually made his hold around her waist more comfortable.

So on that bright morning, the Muggles saw a mounted Metropolitan police officer making her way through London and occasionally chasing down a madman who had a penchant for vandalising innocent vending machines. Thus, although it took them a few hours to arrive at their destination, they couldn't have blended better if it were planned.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

"Whoa! Right, we're here," said Tonks as Moody approached the door to number twelve.

Lupin lost no time in sliding off of Buckbeak, then had to dodge Tonks' leg as she also quickly dismounted. He moved up to stroke Bubkbeak's mane and said, "Best leave him as a horse for the moment. He'll be easier to pull inside."

"Right," agreed Tonks as she used the reins to lead him forward. She transformed her clothing into jeans and t-shirt as she walked.

Lupin was amused to find her a bit bowlegged, but then realized he was staring at her. He really was becoming an old lecher, wasn't he? They made it into the entry hall where Moody had already dealt with the rantings of Mrs. Black's portrait.

"Here's your robe back, Sirius," offered Lupin as he handed the dressing gown back to Sirius. "I needed it to lure Buckbeak."

Sirius, who had taken the time to dress properly, moved forward from the foot of the stairs in surprise. "Buckbeak?"

Buckbeak whinnied in delight as Sirius walked to him and pet his nose.

"He came looking for you, Padfoot, although we're keeping him as a horse until we can get a room ready," confirmed Lupin. "He's grown quite attached to you it seems."

"Oh, Buckbeak, you silly goose. What are we going to do with you?" Sirius was stroking the horse's neck. "You must be thirsty. I'll get some water up for him. In fact, we might as well take lunch ourselves. There's quite a bit of work ahead. "

"Good idea, I'm parched and peckish," said Tonks as she quickly skipped down the stairs. They could soon here her yelling, "SIRIUS BLACK!"

Sirius rolled his eyes while Lupin asked, "Didn't you clean up the mess in the kitchen?"

"You said not to do anything until you got back," replied Sirius. He tied the reins around the banister before the men walked to the kitchen to find Tonks with her hand on her hips.

"Sirius! What kind of slick move is this? We eat off of that surface." She was pointing with indignation at the soap scum on the kitchen table.

"That's what I said," peeped Lupin.

Moody, on the other hand, seemed undisturbed. "A man's got to to what a man's got to do."

"Thank you, Mad-eye, I knew someone would understand," said Sirius. "Look, I'll just," he flicked his wand over the oak tabletop, "clean it up and it's all set to right."

"Oh, no, I want a new tabletop," demanded Tonks.

"Tonks, be reasonable. It's clean. Look." Sirius waved his wand again and said, "It's even sanitized."

Lupin, who probably would have accepted this edict, watched in amusement as Tonks stepped up to her cousin and sweetly explained.

"Sirius, I want a new tabletop and I assure you, I will check for transfiguration. And if I don't get a new tabletop, then I will relay the history of this surface to Molly Weasley."

Lupin was actually impressed. Why hadn't he thought of that threat? He looked expectantly at Sirius.

"Best give in, Black," advised Moody. "No one wants to suffer the wrath of the Weasley matriarch."

"Fine," replied Sirius in an offended tone. "How about mahogany?"

"No, we need something warmer," said Lupin.

"Yes, I'd say, maple," chimed in Tonks.

"I was about to suggest that," acknowledged Lupin.

Sirius grudgingly changed the tabletop as he muttered, "Bullies."

Soon the company was eating a quick lunch in the kitchen on the inviolate tabletop while Buckbeak drank fully and nibbled on some rats that Snuffles had caught for him. It was a welcome break before the work ahead.

- - - - - - - - - -

Once lunch was finished, they sat at the table sipping tea, except for Lupin who had excused himself. He soon rejoined them to sit by Tonks' side. She noticed that he had not only changed clothes, but also managed a quick shower. And he smelled nice and clean.

Tonks adjusted her position when she realized she was actually leaning into Lupin's personal space as she took a deep breath. She practically turned her back on the man, so she missed Lupin's puzzled frown at her body language.

"It's clear that we can't let the hippogriff go. He'd just try to find Black again and compromise Order headquarters," began Moody.

"Buckbeak has an even temper and he's been in confined places before," explained Sirius.

"We can clear out your mother's old room for his use." As Lupin heard his words, he realized his 'we' meant he and Tonks. "She had to have facilities for taking care of the beasts, no matter what their size."

"The tower room is quite spacious and has the height of two stories," confirmed Sirius.

"That sounds serviceable," agreed Moody as he leaned back. "We're the Aurors; Tonks and I can clean out the menagerie from the tower."

Tonks turned and exchanged a glance with Lupin. It felt odd not to be partnered with each other, but there was no reason to argue with the assignment other than personal preference. Wait. Preference?

"I might need that magic eye of yours, Mad-eye. Kreacher won't like having mother's room disturbed, so I'll have to keep him busy, but he can be rather clever about hiding my parents' toys. I'm sure the dangers of the menagerie will be obvious. Mumsy, on the other hand, wasn't a subtle woman."

"My eye's been a bit sketchy at detecting Dark Arts, but I suppose exercising it will do some good," agreed Moody. "Right, then, Tonks, you're with Lupin. Let's get to work."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tonks and Lupin walked to the tower and drew their wands.

"What do you think we'll find in there?" asked Tonks.

"Dragons, unicorns, acromantula, harpies, chimera," said Lupin as he echoed a catalog of magical beasts. He turned to her with a serious look. "Possibly a manticore."

Tonks shivered. The manticore was particularly vile in that it would have a human face amid the monstrous body. Its taste for human flesh made it almost cannabilistic. "You open the door and I'll go in first--"

Lupin put his hand up to protest, but Tonks continued, "I take the low ground to cast an adhesion spell while you check anything flying."

Lupin acquiesced with a nod. Doing the manly thing would be quite stupid in this situation. "I'll cast a net," said Lupin, then quickly added, "And not a word about percussion instruments from you."

Tonks made sure she had an innocent expression on her face. "I'll have to pass that one on to Dad."

Lupin shook his head, but then the eerie human laugh again filled the hallway. He felt the hackles rising on his neck. He murmured to himself, "I wish it were full moon already."

Tonks looked at him sharply, then swallowed the lump that was suddenly in her throat. What kind of threat would make Lupin prefer his werewolf form?

But his voice was calm and steady. "Ready? Go."

Lupin released the ward on the door and it flew open.

The Auror cast an adhesion spell across the floor in front of her. This stopped the stampede that was about to overtake them, but Tonks found she had to immediately follow with stupefy and immobilization spells. She skimmed above the floor with a levitation charm as she dealt with menacing strikes from acromantula, chimera, and a variety of wraiths. Although most were no taller than a meter, they still held their deadlier qualities.

In the meantime the Professor cast his webs at a variety of creatures swarming toward them. Soon several nets hung suspended from the ceiling like cocoons. Harpies, dragons, and other flying beasts were shrieking and growling, but Lupin reinforced the nets so they would hold.

Then, as Tonks scanned for Lupin's location, the source of the eerie laughter swooped toward her. She deflected the beast, but managed to get a good look at the wide mouth holding the sharp rows of teeth that distorted the human face. A manticore!

The manticore flew up with a roar as his leathery wings beat the air. He hovered above her for a moment to adjust his position. The strike of the scorpion's tail would be deadly. But as Tonks prepared a shield spell, she saw Lupin execute an oddly disturbing maneuver. He leapt from the floor to the bay of the closest window and landed in a crouch. Then he repeated the maneuver to get to the next window where he would be closer to the manticore. It was a motion that echoed a wolf, not a human.

"_Gladius_!" Lupin's voice seemed to fill the room as he lashed out with his wand. The sword spell effectively severed the scorpion's tail from the manticore who, although reduced in size, was easily as tall as Lupin.

The manticore roared with pain and then turned with an eerie laugh. He could ignore the weak little girl below him to take care of this combatant. His voice came out as a hiss as he taunted Lupin. "You would feast of her sweet flesh, too, Dark Brother. Do not deny me my meal because you are too weak to take your fill."

"No! I'm not like you. I won't be like you." He thrust again with the Sword Spell as he fended off the attack from the lion's claws.

Tonks knew that no stupefy or immobilisation spell would be effective against the creature, but then her eyes fell on the deadly stinger that was writhing on the floor. "_Accio_."

The dismembered limb flew to her hand and Tonks forced down the bile in her throat as she carefully touched it. She cast her next spell silently, but targeted the _wingardium leviosa_ with efficiency. The stinger was aimed at the exposed underbelly of the beast.

The loud shriek of pain from the manticore as the stinger penetrated his abdomen made Tonks cover her ears. She barely had time to cushion the fall of the beast so that it wouldn't land on the terrier-sized unicorns below it. The Auror carefully set the body in a clear area, then covered it by summoning the bedcover. The poison was already doing its work on decomposing the body.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Tonks looked up to find Lupin leaning against the window sill as he knelt in its bay. She carefully gauged her distance before levitating to his side. She was happy to see his eyes flutter open. "Remus! Did you get bitten?"

He found the question rather amusing and had to laugh, although he must sound a bit mad to Tonks. "Not by the manticore."

"Good swordsmanship, Professor," she teased lightly. "You'd make quite the swashbuckler."

"Runs in the family, but be that as it may, Nymphadora, I'm going to do a very unmanly thing now."

"Remus? Wha--"

Faint. The Auror caught the Professor before he pitched forward, then carefully floated with him to the bed that was against the wall near the door. She leaned over him before she let her gaze inspect his body. No major wounds, although his jeans had some new rips. She placed her palm over a larger wound on his thigh and chanted the healing spell. She repeated this over a few more minor cuts on his arms and her voice resembled a song as she did her work.

Tonks judged her progress, then noticed how pale he looked. How could he have mustered the energy required to leap to the window bay? Then she remembered the full moon was tonight. Was a little bit of the wolf lurking near the surface now? Had he harnessed that energy to protect her?

Foolish man, she was the Auror; she could protect herself But Tonks pushed back the notion that Lupin thought of her as a weak woman. Valkyrie, he had called her. No, he was simply protecting his partner and was willing to use any resources he had to that end.

"Remus Lupin, you would have made a good Auror," she murmured as she scanned his face.

She brushed away the fringe of hair falling on his face. His forehead was too high, his nose was too long. In fact, his entire body was lanky, although his long fingers were elegant, like his toes. Toes? She hadn't realized he was barefoot until now, but it made sense that the maneuvers he executed would be hampered by shoes.

"My! What big feet you have," murmured Tonks with a half smile as she remembered the Muggle story about Little Red Riding Hood. "I told you that you're too bloody tall."

The lean body did not respond to her taunts, but kept breathing gently. The scars on his face invited her touch, but she quenched the impulse. With her penchant for hurting the man, she'd wind up poking his eye.

Instead she lay beside him and let his head rest against her. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around him. One would have thought she were embracing a lover except for the wand carefully positioned over his heart. In fact, she was casting a minor healing spell with her touch. She let the energy flow through her and into him, not enough to drain her, but just enough to ease his weariness.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Lupin inhaled and a familiar scent filled him. He began stirring as he said, "Tonks."

"Quit squirming or we'll both fall off," she chided gently. They were too close to the edge of the bed.

By this time Lupin realized the position he had put her in and shuffled quickly to the foot of the bed as he sat up. "Thank you for the rescue."

"Just returning the favor," said Tonks as she averted her face. The way he had scuttled away from her had hurt.

Lupin registered her obvious discomfort with him, her body language was a strong rejection. He looked down at his bare feet and cringed inside. Tonks had witnessed rather anomalous behavior, actions that would look more canine than human. The room was filled with dangerous creatures, his brethren. How could this not be a strong reminder of his curse?

So he as was his nature, he fell into character as the objective scholar to distance himself from both the beast within and the woman at his side.

"That was quick thinking about using the stinger against the manticore, especially targeting his belly. Their stinger won't penetrate their hide anywhere else." He cleared his throat as he realized how he was stating the obvious.

Tonks shrugged and let herself be drawn into the conversation. "I read the _Malleus Manticorum_ in the restricted section of the library at Hogwarts. Call it morbid curiosity. While other girls were looking up love potions, I was looking up carnivorous beasts."

"I'm glad you're not a typical girl then," said Lupin rather absently, then internally kicked his cortex. Brilliant choice of words, Lupin.

"This is quite a room," said Tonks to change the subject from her feminine shortcomings. "And it's perfect for Buckbeak."

They surveyed the room in silence for a moment. The large, circular area had a series of tall windows with deep bays, some holding nests. The ceiling was easily two stories tall and, while still constrained, would allow Buckbeak to stretch his wings a bit. A trough rimmed the wall with spouts for water at even intervals. A large aquarium about a meter in height stood under one window with what looked like a Kraken and a Kelpie within. The human accommodations were along the wall closest to the door with the four poster bed practically on a pedestal.

"I wonder how she managed to maintain the enchantment," said Lupin as his eyes turned to the creatures they had captured. "A potion in the water? A reduction charm? Magical technology?"

"I feel the remnants of some magical instrument," said Tonks as she closed her eyes to follow the source of magic. She opened her eyes and pointed to a cell against the wall. "And I bet the manticore was restrained for most of his time here. The bonds look freshly broken."

Lupin fingered the curtains on the four poster bed. "The curtains have a protective ward. Mrs. Black probably used that as her safe haven from her menagerie."

"What do we do with these now? Hagrid's off on a mission," said Tonks as she stood. "We can't just massacre the lot."

They stood by each other and looked at the captured beasts. Yes, many were dangerous, but their reduced size made them manageable. Then out of a bureau drawer by the bed, they saw a fluffy white head with long, floppy ears appear.

Tonks squealed in delight. "Oh, a bunny! Poor thing! I bet it was some creature's meal."

She picked it up and the pink nose twitched. Tonks put it on her shoulder and was cooing at it while she stroked it. "Lupin, meet lepus."

But when Lupin approached for a closer look, the rabbit suddenly revealed long, sharp incisors and red, feral eyes.

"Tonks, get away from that thing!"

Tonks brought the bunny to arm's length and asked, "What's wrong, Remus? You're not afraid of an ickle wabbit?"

The bunny's eyes were back to pink and it seemed to be trembling in her hands.

"Tonks, this is a _lepus vorpalis_. I've directly observed their carnivorous behavior at the Caerbannog Cave," said Lupin. He suddenly lunged for it, effectively grabbing the beast out of Tonks' hands.

The vorpal bunny revealed its true nature again with a snarl. Lupin said with satisfaction, "See, it is a were-rabbit."

It suddenly clamped its mouth shut and assumed its innocent facade.

"So? I'll just avoid giving it meat," said Tonks as she recovered the furry white bundle and rubbed the fur against her face. "It's a perfectly gentle creature other than once a month. They don't attack unless provoked and even then it's only on the day of the full moon."

"Nymphadora Tonks, how can you be phobic about canines but not feral lepines?" The woman was exasperating, thought Lupin.

"I think it has something to do with the floppy ears," said Tonks calmly in an odd reversal of roles. "Anyway, Wimples is my furry little problem now, not yours."

Her comment was an echo of James Potter for Lupin. All he managed to get out was, "Wimples?"

"Don't you think it suits him?" said Tonks, clearly enchanted with her new acquisition. "I've been meaning to get a pet. And the _lepus vorpalis_ train very well as guard animals. I thought you would know this, Professor."

"That requires a very strict regimen," countered Lupin.

"And are you implying I'm incapable of that level of discipline?"

Lupin opened his mouth to speak, but was at a loss. Regardless of what he said, it would lead to Tonks keeping the dangerous animal. He finally settled for, "Fine, but I want to see read your training schedule."

"Fine," agreed Tonks primly.

"Fine." Lupin shook his head. He scanned the menagerie and made a firm decision to place them before Tonks decided to keep anymore creatures. "I think I know who can take the rest."

"Don't tell me Hagrid has a twin brother?"

"No, Skeeve Irvin is obsessed with magical creatures, but he doesn't delude himself about the danger. Although he does have a dragon named Gleep."

"And you thought Wimples was a funny name," accused Tonks.

Lupin refused to rise to the bait. "Skeeve runs a preserve. He's convinced Muggles that he's a crocodile hunter by assuming an alias, but he's actually capturing magical creatures for relocation."

"Croc hunter? Why does that sound familiar?" murmured Tonks.

"We should be able to contact him by floo," said Lupin. "Here, let's get some of the more interesting creatures into crates so he can see them. Oh, and let's take the aquarium, too."

"Right, then. Here you go, Wimples. Wait here for Nanna."

- - - - - - - - - - -

Tonks and Lupin conferred with Moody and Sirius, who had been having a hectic time keeping Kreacher in check as they cleaned the other rooms. They gave their blessing to the plan, a necessary element since Sirius was the official owner of the menagerie and Moody would be the one making the delivery. The two men then helped Tonks and Lupin crate the specimens so that Buckbeak could have free run of his new room.

So it was that at eight in the evening in London, Lupin threw floo powder in, but just enough so he could talk to his colleague rather than travel through to him. Five o'clock in the morning in Australia should be perfect for catching Skeeve at home before his busy day began.

"Skeeve? Skeeve, it's Remus Lupin."

Lupin waited patiently with the aquarium in clear view. He had his back turned to Tonks who was suddenly having trouble keeping the lid on a cage. She finally sat on top of it by the time Lupin got a response.

"Crikey! Is that a Kraken!" The man in the floo had brown hair, a friendly round face, and a boisterous voice.

Now Tonks remembered. She exclaimed, "You're, you're--"

"Yes, he is," said Lupin over his shoulder with a nod. Hadn't he told her that? "That's his alias."

The Professor then turned to the man and said, "Skeeve, as you can see, it is indeed a Kraken and a Kelpie. We found a miniature menagerie and need a safe haven for the creatures. They include dragons, harpies, acromantula, a chimera, a herd of unicorns and abraxans."

A long whistle greeted them. "Of course I'll take the lot. I've just gotten a new area declared a wildlife preserve." Then he seemed to peer over Lupin's shoulder and asked, "Is that your sheila?"

"What?" Lupin turned to find Tonks was leaning over the cage trying to make sure it was properly latched. He drew his eyes away and said, "No, no, she's not my girlfriend. Uh, she's a colleague, Nymphadora Tonks."

"Lupin, you're such a clod, you know that? Colleague! You've got plenty of colleagues and they won't keep you warm in that dismal island of yours. You should take me up on my offer. The job's always open."

"I appreciate that, Skeeve, but I like this dismal island of mine," said Lupin with a smile.

"Stubborn as an old croc," muttered Skeeve. "When can I expect the shipment?"

"I'll owl you a manifest of the cargo and the details of their arrival. Alastor Moody will be making the trip."

"Mad-eye? It'll be good to see the old codger."

"Good then. Thanks for helping out," said Lupin as he moved away from the floo.

He turned to find Tonks swatting a paw that was trying to pinch her bum and grumbling, "Stupid monkey!"

"We're set," said Lupin.

"I heard," replied Tonks. Yes, she had heard everything, from Lupin's enthusiastic denial of a relationship with her to the fact that if he wanted, Lupin could be gainfully employed. He could be free of all his problems if he would but go halfway around the world. "Here's the manifest. Oh, and there's the training schedule for Wimples."

Lupin took the parchment and sat at the table. He looked at the lists, but couldn't focus for a moment. The worst part of the housecleaning was over. Although far from pristine, the rooms were habitable. He knew Molly intended to keep the teens busy by attacking the remainder.

It was over. The only thing to lure Tonks back was Order business. Lupin blinked and forced himself to pay attention to the lists. The full moon would soon be upon him and he needed to get to Wolf Rock. He had drunk his Wolfsbane, but now that he was no longer distracted by the menagerie--or Tonks--he could feel the aches that foreshadowed his transformations. That's why he was aching, right?

"Everything looks good."

Tonks nodded. She had Wimples in a crate for safe transport to her flat. She had managed not to injure Lupin outright or flash him today, but somehow she had still managed to alienate him. Maybe he was just tired with the full moon coming. Tired of dealing with a clumsy tomboy whose only distinction was making dumb puns.

"Well, I guess I better go," said Tonks. "Good night, Remus."

Lupin stood, but all he could think to say was, "Good-bye, Nympahdora."

She didn't even turn around to admonish him.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Tonks introduced Wimples to her flat and spent the rest of the night setting up the spells that would help train him as a guard animal. The rabbit would be restless through the night, but with the rubber carrot she gave him to chew, the lepine should pass it without incident.

Before she went to bed, she stroked the bunny, but was thinking of another creature. It was probably a good thing that her time with Lupin had ended beyond the occasional Order meeting. Then why was she so restless as she looked up at the full moon? No, it had nothing to do with Lupin. It was clear that while he tolerated her as a colleague, he wanted nothing more to do with her.

"And that's just fine with me, Remus Lupin," said Tonks to herself as she pulled the pillow to her chest. But as she drifted into slumber, it was the memory of embracing him in her arms that brought her comfort.

Meanwhile in the distant west, a werewolf was curled up on his favorite rug as the full moon shone through his enchanted abode at Wolf Rock Lighthouse. His mind held images of color, so much color had filled his world of late. And the soft flowery scent that lingered. And sounds: argument, understanding, laughter. All of it so alive. All of it to be nothing more than a memory.

_End of Chapter_

Minor edits.

Author Notes:  
I set out to explain how Buckbeak wound up at Grimmauld Place with Sirius. This seemed to be as plausible as any. My beta and I were amused by the idea of Moody zapping hapless and harmless vending machines that talk. Don't know if they're common in London, but call it creative license.

All right, throw the rotten tomatoes, but the idea of Steve Irwin, the Croc Hunter, actually being a wizard who casts illusions about wrestling crocodiles when he's actually dealing with magical creatures was seductive. Am I weird? And, yes, the reference to Skeeve and Gleep is a nod to Robert Aspirin's Myth Adventure series.

Edit to add: I wanted to give a last salute to Steve Irwin who several months after I posted this story. As I go back to read it, I'd like to think that the man's 'magic' still lingers.

Wimples is obviously the vorpal bunny from Monty Python's Holy Grail. And the idea was born long before I realized Wallace and Grommit have a movie about a were-rabbit coming out. Hey, I never claimed to be original; I just see fuzzy connections in a lot of things. Or furry ones... And I realize that _were-_ means Man, but the term were-rabbit conveys the idea I wanted.

_Gladius_ is not canon, but the closest Latin for sword. Also, the manticore is not supposed to be a Dark Creature outright, but this particular one was evil. I think the rest of the creatures resembled canon.

Ah, Tonks and Lupin. One step forward, two steps back--or is it sideways? Don't fret, we find out more about Lupin's background in the next chapter and it will be different from the Roman background I gave him in my first series of stories. Is Tonks out of his immediate life? Would I be writing this if she were?

Again and always, thank you for reading, reviewing and getting some fun out of odd references. Writing fanfic has been a nice diversion over a very strange, hectic week. I appreciate the continued positive reviews and, even with the setbacks, I hope the relationship is still making you smile and root for Tonks and Lupin.


	5. The Scilly Man

Summary: Tonks and Remus at the Wolf Rock Lighthouse after the night of full moon.

**NYMPH vs WOLF**  
_**The Scilly Man**_

_Wolf Rock Lighthouse  
4 years ago_

The Wolf Rock Lighthouse was clearly the abode of a poor man. Stairs creaked, new cracks would appear as soon as old ones were patched, and the furniture was old and worn. The structure always needed work, but some of the magic necessary for permanent repairs was quite costly. The current owner did his best to keep his house together with his limited resources. Most of the money he gained from the odd teaching job was put right back into the house, but he felt he had no choice unless he were to become homeless.

The major problem with living in an enchanted lighthouse was that every single room was on a different level. The parlor was actually the top of seven habitable floors where the entry into the house actually appeared. Below that was the library, then the kitchen, three bedrooms with lavatories, and the cell. Each room except the cell had windows, but these were hidden from anyone viewing the lighthouse.

The lighthouse had its good points, though. The lantern at the top had a magical fire that automatically lit at dusk and dark, cloudy days. Around that was a platform that encircled the lighthouse. This landing was filled with planters containing all manner of vegetation that of late had run wild. One had to practically be on the platform before they were detectable due to an enchantment, however. The plants provided fruits and vegetables while the sea provided another source of protein. The fare was limited, but prevented the man from starving outright.

Still, one of the truly nice things about Wolf Rock was the pool that nature had carved at the base of the lighthouse. It was circular, about five meters in diameter, but it was the source of wonder for a curious boy who had no friends. A small tidal pool at one edge would fill so he could watch the crustaceans and fish trapped by the tide. But the pool itself was magically filled with water diverted from a warm spring. It made the desolate place a paradise for the unusual boy who dwelled there.

But now the curious boy was a grown man and Remus Lupin had suffered a very bad full moon. The cell at the deepest level of the lighthouse attested to the savage brutality of the night. It had taken him a full hour to crawl back up to his proper bedroom after dawn had broken his curse.

He slept some more, but then forced himself to stir when he heard an owl pecking at the window. A note from Alastor Moody read: _Keep watch for intruder today and notify me. No danger to you._

Lupin just rubbed his face and used the directive as an excuse to get up for the day. He brewed some tea, grabbed his favorite tall stool, and began scanning the environ of Wolf Rock from the spyglass at his parlor window. He would prefer basking in the pool to soothe his aches, but he never uncovered his body in front of others. With Moody's warning about an intruder, it was safest to remain in the tower.

Lupin had just gotten settled on the stool when a rider on a broom buzzed across his window. He quickly put his eye to the spyglass to find the rider doing lazy loops down to the natural pool. The rider was short and had blonde hair, but that was about the limit he could detect. The robes flowed around the body, so Lupin assumed it was just a youth out hunting for a shell.

Indeed, the rider soon landed by the tidal pool and picked up a conch shell. A little victory dance ensued with hands waving and body shaking, so Lupin laughed at the antics of the spirited lad. He would not report anything to Moody other than the recovery of the shell.

But then the rider did a peculiar thing. The robe slipped off to reveal a female dressed in a t-shirt and cargo pants. Lupin felt his breath catch in his throat and told himself to quit watching. He knew how inviting the pool could be on a day like this.

"Be a good little girl and be on your way," murmured Lupin. .

But the trainers and socks flew off in the direction where she had laid her broom. Lupin thought for a moment she'd be content just to soak her feet, but no.

"Oh, no, don't you--" he began.

But she did. Off went the shirt and down came the cargo pants.

"Just close your eyes or look away," Lupin admonished himself, but his body refused to comply, although he did resist the temptation to magnify the image further. He had to maintain some semblance of discretion.

He noted with relief that the witch didn't resort to skinny dipping, but tapped her shoulder with her wand so that now she wore a bikini. She let herself settle into the pool, then leaned against the smooth rock. Although he couldn't see it, he could feel the smile of contentment on her face. He'd keep watch over her to make sure she was safe, he told himself.

"Water nymph," he murmured as he settled to keep watch. And through the years he almost managed to convince himself that indeed that was what he had witnessed that afternoon.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Diagon Alley, Present Day_

Nymphadora Tonks looked at the mountain of ice cream in front of her as she sat at a table at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor in Diagon Alley. A scoop of every variation of chocolate was in her bowl, but it was just the thing she needed at mid-afternoon.

This morning she had found Wimples, her newly adopted were-rabbit, curled up and gently snoring in an old top hat that had been left by the last resident of her flat. It made her think of someone else recovering after the night of the full moon. Was Lupin all right? Did he need any help? And why the hell did she care when he clearly had been content to have her walk out the door last night? A blue mood had immediately overtaken her.

Then in the late morning, she and Kingsley Shacklebolt had tangled with five wizards who had been capturing merpeople to sell into slavery in foreign private pools. The perpetrators had been left with one broken nose, three black eyes, and one wizard twice her size with an inability to stand, all courtesy of the "little strawberry tart."

Still, the successful, if violent, arrest had not left her satisfied. Moreover, Rufus Scrimgeour had sent her out for her late lunch so she could, "Think about how to conduct yourself in the professional manner expected of Aurors rather than some wild-eyed valkyrie!"

Valkyrie. Tonks had to bite back a groan when Scrimgeour used the term. It had completely lacked the teasing quality that Lupin had used.

Lupin. This time she did groan aloud with only the mound of chocolate for sympathy. She was about to scoop out her first bite when she heard someone comment on the size of her sundae.

"_Mon dieu_, my stomach eez upset just to see so much _crême glacée_."

Tonks looked up to see Bill Weasley with a pretty blonde woman who had the French accent. She offered a crooked smile at the pair and said, "Wotcher, Bill."

"Tonks, how are you? Let me introduce you to Fleur Delacour," said Bill before turning to the young woman at his side. "Fleur, this is Tonks, an old classmate of mine."

The young woman dipped gracefully while Tonks waved her fingers. Perfect. All she needed was a reminder of everything she wasn't. Still, Tonks asked, "Are you here on holiday?"

"No, Fleur is working at Gringott's now," said Bill before Fleur could speak for herself, but the woman accepted this with a thankful smile to Bill.

"I hope you're getting settled into London," offered Tonks.

"Oh, I'm taking care to show her around, help her with her English," said Bill amiably. He nodded one last time before turning away. "Come on, Fleur, would you like a sundae like Tonks has?"

"Bill, eet iz not possible for one to eat so much! Eet would all go to my hips. I weel just have a bite of yours, no?"

As Fleur strategically walked ahead of Bill to the counter, Tonks noticed Bill's attention was on the aforementioned hips that were gently swaying. Men! Actually, why couldn't someone who wasn't a drunken sot ogle her that way? Someone like--

She needed to stop her brain before the thought went further, so she rebelliously took a large spoonful of ice cream and stuffed it in her mouth. Two seconds later she was cringing at the brain freeze. But she cringed some more when her eyes fell on Bill and Fleur engaging in their flirtation. How could Bill put up with Fleur feeding him? He was a robust fellow; why would he--

Tonks almost dropped her spoon when Fleur reached out to wipe away some ice cream that had melted in a streak down his chin. Then she licked it off of her finger without making the action appear at all vulgar. Okay, maybe she could learn something here? Tonks continued to covertly observe the pair while shoveling the mound of ice cream down her throat. For all of Fleur's delicate manners, she managed to spend an awful lot of time touching Bill.

Then her attention was caught by the throaty laugh of a woman who had just appeared at the counter. Emmeline Vance was there with a handsome young wizard about Tonks' own age. Yes, that would be Avery Lannister who had his arm rather possessively around her waist. When Emmeline caught sight of Tonks, she demurely extracted herself and walked over.

Tonks looked down with uncertainty. How could she tell Sirius? How could she keep this from him? She couldn't bear to break her cousin's heart, but how could she let him be used?

"Tonks, isn't it?" Emmeline's voice was calm and friendly.

Tonks looked up and nodded. Emmeline was the picture of composure and her languid grace made Tonks feel quite immature. She forced herself to look directly into her eyes and keep her mouth shut. It's what Lupin would do, she was certain.

Emmeline took the nod as an invitation to sit down. "Tonks, I just thought I should explain something to you before you got the wrong idea."

"Right," said Tonks agreeably. So was Avery her cousin or something? A gay friend?

"I don't like to confine myself to one lover and Sirius knows this. In fact, all those years ago, when I gave him my virginity--"

"Do I really need to know the details?" interrupted Tonks.

"The point is, Sirius is not only the one who taught me the joys of loving, but another important lesson. You should be in love for that moment you're with someone, but for some of us it will only be the moment's fantasy. When it's over, you move on, sometimes to return, but always with the freedom of knowing that it's best to love whom you please when you please."

"Is that a justification for being fickle?" asked Tonks as she cocked her head.

Emmeline simply laughed. "Oh, Tonks, don't tell me a modern girl like you is that naive? I'm not easy with my affections, but I certainly am not the exclusive property of one man. Why, in this day and age, we witches can celebrate our sexuality. We're not constrained to monogamous relationships; that's so old fashioned!"

Emmeline managed an elegant flip of her hair over her shoulders as she said this. Tonks added her own hollow laugh. "Funny, but I rather envy Molly Weasley her monogamous relationship over your freedom."

"Well, you're a little prude, aren't you? Are you sure you and Sirius are cousins? Because you sound more like Remus Lupin and his rather stolid view of life."

"Emmeline, I'm not condemning your preferences; they just aren't mine And I'll consider myself in good company with Remus Lupin."

Emmeline added with a shudder, "The only thing you'll get in his company is a boring lecture on defense against the Dark Arts. Remus could never be anything but a shadow of a man compared to Sirius. In fact, you might attend to your cousin's needs next time. It would open your eyes."

Tonks was blushing furiously now. She well understood that liaisons with close cousins were accepted in the Wizarding world, but this suggestion was too much. "I'll leave that service to you, Emmeline. I'm sure Sirius only has brotherly feelings towards me."

Emmeline laughed again, "Then find yourself a man who isn't your cousin who can show you the ropes, Tonks. You don't know what you're missing. Why, you can become any man's fantasy! What a wasted talent."

"I don't want to be any man's fantasy and my life, dull as it is, is quite fine by me, Emmeline," muttered Tonks. She had long decided against using sex as a bandage for loneliness, but this discussion was verging on painful. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to finish my ice cream before it melts."

Emmeline sat quietly for a moment. Her next words were spoken quite sincerely. "Look, Tonks, I'm sorry if I said something to upset you, but I don't apologize for my lifestyle. And I do care about Sirius or I wouldn't have spent all that time with him the other night just to get him properly aroused. The Sirius I knew would have had me pinned against the wall as soon as I stepped through the door."

Tonks closed her eyes for a moment. Why were some women so free with details? "Thank you for taking care of Sirius, Emmeline. Obviously you two have an understanding and that's fine, but I don't intend to tell him about seeing you here today. "

Emmeline patted Tonks' shoulder gently. "Don't waste your youth, Tonks. I've seen what that's done to Remus over the years. You don't want to end up like him."

Tonks looked out the window as Emmeline made her graceful exit. Was it just four days ago that Tonks had flattened the Professor in the stairway? And boring was certainly not the first adjective that came to mind when she thought of Remus Lupin. She knew that Emmeline Vance had been a year behind the Marauders at Hogwarts, so how could Emmeline have known Lupin for all these years and still know so little about him? Or perhaps Tonks was the one with the distorted view of the man? Or perhaps Tonks was the one who had been allowed to see the real Remus Lupin?

- - - - - - - - - - - -

She was still pondering this when she was walking home in the early evening. Perhaps Emmeline's advice about getting on with her personal life was a good one. Tonks didn't have to sacrifice her standards to jump into the dating game. She could be selective--that is if she could even attract the interest of an acceptable man. So as she passed the bookstore where Lupin had sought refuge, she followed her impulse to go inside. She skimmed the titles and actually purchased a book.

She had just stepped out of the bookstore and walked two paces when the loud pop of an apparation jarred her senses. Luckily at this time of day Muggle London was abuzz with traffic, so no one paid attention to another vehicle backfiring.

"Tonks, the Order needs you," said Alastor Moody as he pulled her aside.

"An attack?" asked Tonks.

"Where?" Moody jumped back and looked around, peering suspiciously at a middle-aged woman who snarled back at him.

"Mad-eye, I meant has there been an attack on someone? " asked Tonks as she pulled him out of the thoroughfare. Then an alarm went off in her mind. "It's not Lupin, is it?"

"Yes, it is Lupin in fact," confirmed Moody. "He's in urgent need of rescue."

"Well, let's go. I swear, the man can't watch his back without me. Where was he attacked?"

"Lupin wasn't attacked."

"But I thought you said he needed rescuing?"

"Aye, he does, but not from an attack. He'll be staying at Grimmauld Place and needs to get some of his things over. Best done under cover of the night, what with broom transport, but he'll have to make two trips in order to bring his vitrola with him. He can't leave it at the lighthouse."

Tonks rubbed her forehead. "Wait. You're asking me to give up a night's sleep just so that Professor R.J. Lupin can bring his toys with him to London?"

"In truth, Lupin first asked for you, but then said he didn't want to bother you anymore. It's not like him to ramble like that, really. Then Bill Weasley volunteered to go since he was near the floo at headquarters and heard us talking, but he has guard duty tonight. So I said I'd track you down since you're the one Lupin really wants, but if you'd rather pull guard duty, then Bill will go and, of course, I can't go seeing as how I'll be leaving with the shipment of creatures in the morning--"

"Remus asked for me?" Tonks was finally able to get the words out. Moody's first admission had left her dumbstruck.

"Are you deaf, girl? I said so, didn't I?" Moody's eye was twirling suspiciously in her direction. "So, is it guard duty or hauling duty?"

Tonks opened her mouth, but couldn't get the words out. Lupin had asked for her. "Uh, ah, ooh, duh, ahem."

"Funny, that's what Lupin said after he asked for you. Is this some private code you've developed?" Moody seemed to be inspecting Tonks now with suspicion now.

"Yes!"

"Well why do the two of you need a code?"

"Nonowe'renotusingcodeImeantI'llgohelpLupin." The words tumbled out of Tonks in a rush.

"You're doing it again. That's exactly how Lupin sounded when he said he didn't want to bother you. Strange." Moody thrust his head forward so his magic eye could get a closer look.

"Alastor Moody," said Tonks very slowly. "I. Will. Go. Help. Lupin."

"Well why didn't you say that in the first place!"

Tonks took a deep breath. "I assume Remus is still at the Wolf Rock Lighthouse and not at Land's End?"

"Yes, but remember, the Muggles think it's just off the coast at Land's End. "

"I know, I'll apparate to Land's End, then bear to the illusion lighthouse, fly right through the decoy, and I'll be at the real Wolf Rock on the Eastern Isles of Scilly. You made me find it when I was your apprentice, remember?"

"Yes, Lupin was my spotter that day, but I doubt he got a good look at you then."

Tonks suddenly blushed. "You had a spotter? I thought I was just supposed to find the magic seashell as evidence of being there?"

"Additional verification is always a must, Tonks," asserted Moody. "What are you standing around for? Go on."

"Right," said Tonks as she quickened her pace to her flat. Lupin couldn't have seen anything other than her broom buzzing overhead even if he was at the lighthouse all those years ago. There were no windows, so he had to be looking from the platform. The witch sighed in relief at the thought and soon arrived at her flat.

She needed to feed Wimples, get her broom and harness, change her clothes. What did the fashionable witch wear to an enchanted lighthouse? Since when had she been a fashionable witch?

"And it's not like this is a date," said Tonks to Wimples as she tossed him a leafy radish. So why had she taken a shower? And why did she change into a light blue shirt, an aqua color that her mother once said suited her, with flowing sleeves?

Wimples sniffed at the radish, then at the sleeve of her shirt, and flashed his ears.

"Right, Remus just thinks I'm some work horse," said Tonks glumly. "And I don't even want him to like me like that, so that's fine. Just fine."

She stood up and tapped her broom on the floor impatiently. "Well, this work horse can wear whatever she wants, Professor, so, so, Merlin! If he says one word about the way I'm dressed, I'll turn his precious vitrola into a cauldron of pea soup!"

Meanwhile across town, Moody was walking down the street after telling Bill Weasley he still had guard duty at the Ministry. Although his next task was to owl Lupin about his imminent visitor, Moody got distracted when he found a Muggle beeper on the street. The contraption kept making the odd noise and sending numbers. In fact, the peculiar instrument occupied the Auror's attention until the morning.

The Professor had no idea what was flying his way this night.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Wolf Rock Lighthouse_

Remus Lupin had been very slow today as he recovered from the full moon at Wolf Rock. In fact he lay in his bed until midday with the familiar creaks of the old lighthouse lulling him into a sense of safety.

While Lupin didn't have much to pack in the way of clothing, selecting the set of books he would need and various artifacts he held that the Order might find useful was time consuming. He also realized that he would need the help of another rider on broom to transport his effects.

As his own house wasn't on the floo network, he had to travel to the bakery in St. Martin's to contact Alastor Moody about sending help. The Auror had listened with approval to the list, but then urged Lupin to bring his old vitrola with him. Moody had insisted, "Can't let you travel without it!"

Lupin groaned out loud as he remembered his conversation with Moody. Why had he let Tonks name slip out like that? "Because she's been on your mind all day, you blubbering git!"

Lupin leaned back against the high-backed armchair and just stared out of his window for a moment. He didn't have to close his eyes to see her face in front of him. Or to hear her laughter or smell the light perfume she wore. Or to feel her hand against his cheek. Or to remember her soft skin under the palm of his hand.

"Remus Lupin, you have become an old lecher."

Lupin tried to clear his mind and picked up his cup of tea to enjoy a moment of peace before venturing into the night. It had been a cloudy day with a lot of rain, so darkness came early. Moody had not owled or sent a Patronus to confirm recruiting someone to help him, so the Professor was resigned to making two trips to London tonight. He just wanted one valkyrie-free moment before the long ride ahead.

His thoughts turned to a memory of a water nymph he had once spied at the natural pool at the base of Wolf Rock. It had been several years ago and her image had not been clear, but now he was replacing the nymph with the image of his valkyrie.

"Lupin, you're not supposed to be thinking about her," he groaned, but his attention was soon drawn away from his fantasy.

_Thunk._ _Splat. _"Eek!" _Bbbrrrnng._

Lupin sat up and looked at the stairs that lead up to the landing. He recognized that _eek. _The tell-tale sound of a rim oscillating as the large planter overturned and settled to capture the intruder let him know exactly what had happened.

When he opened the door, his sight confirmed his suspicions when he spotted the overturned planter. Why hadn't Moody told him she was coming?

"_Ptew._ Yuck." The voice was muffled by a rather large piece of crockery.

"Nymphadora," Lupin calmly began, but then followed with a completely dim-witted question, "are you in there?"

"Of course I'm in here, you Scilly man! And if you don't get this overgrown crock pot off of me, I'm going to fill it with your favorite vegetable!"

"Hold your peas," said Lupin rather urgently. The pot immediately righted to reveal a Tonks-sized glob of mud sitting on his landing.

"And to think I actually volunteered to help you," grumbled Tonks, although all Lupin could see was her mouth. "And don't call me Nymphadora."

"I'm truly sorry, Tonks, but Moody never confirmed that anyone was coming or I would have deactivated the alarm."

Tonks wiped the sludge off of her eyes and opened them. "I must look like a bloody raccoon."

"More like a Japanese tanuki," said Lupin mildly as he offered a hand to the woman. Perfect. How could she not hate him now?

"Fine, then, but would you explain to me why I'm standing here looking like a freshly plucked mandrake?" Tonks was now standing with her hands on her hips as she demanded an answer. Little dollops of mud were dripping off of her long sleeves as they trailed off at her elbows. _Plop. Plop._

Lupin lightly tapped her shoulder with his wand and all the mud scurried back into the large planter. "It's a ward an ancestor devised against intruders, but for future reference, you just have to say '_Kas yw genev losow_' when you land."

"Cause I've gone and lost a sow?"

"No, it's _Kas yw genev losow,_" repeated Lupin as he traced the words in the air with his wand.

"Oh, it's Cornish," said Tonks as she recognized the language. "My Dad taught me a few phrases as a child. Wait. Doesn't that mean 'I hate vegetables.' "

"There isn't a good translation for peas," admitted Lupin.

"I'm beginning to think you have a very strong aversion to those legumes," said Tonks.

"Look, let me appease you--No. I did not just say that," said Lupin with a slap to his forehead.

"See? At least I can blame my Dad."

"And I can blame the corrupting influence of his daughter," said Lupin in his defense. Then he looked at her disheveled appearance and wet clothing. He really had no idea how to entertain a young lady at the lighthouse--or anywhere else, for that matter, but he knew she must feel uncomfortable. "What's important is that you're here and, well, do you want to get out of those clothes?"

Tonks blushed and Lupin immediately followed with, "I meant you look wet and miserable. Look, just let me show you where you can freshen up before I say something that'll make you slap me again."

"Fair enough," agreed Tonks as she summoned her broom from the floor.

"Er, right then, follow me," said Lupin. He was hesitant to follow through on his offer. He had intended to wait for his help with his cargo on the landing to the lighthouse. Now Tonks would see the decrepit state of the house. She'd probably think it a perfect match for its owner, though.

Lupin's courteous nature got the better of him, although he took her broom and set it against the parlor wall in silence. This continued as he lead her down one set of creaking stairs. Then another and another and another and--

"How many ruddy stairs are there in this house?" moaned Tonks.

"Too many," agreed Lupin readily.

"Can't we apparate?"

"It's charmed against apparation, so there's no getting round the stairs unless you're small enough to slide down the banisters. We do have a dumb waiter for passing items through the levels, though. Sometimes it even works, but it's easier just to levitate cargo up the stairs."

"What are these rooms we're passing?" asked Tonks in great curiosity.

"Parlor, library, kitchen. Then two bedrooms, but the facilities don't work. You can use this room," said Lupin as they left the hall and opened a door.

The room was plainly furnished, but had a wall of books and an odd assortment of maps covering any open space on the walls. "The loo's through the door there. I'll have tea for us in the parlor where the crates are ready for loading."

- - - - - - - - - -

The door closed firmly and Tonks almost tossed herself on the bed. What a wonderful entrance! "Wotcher, Remus, remember me? The mud puppy?"

So much for trying to appear competent and feminine. She quickly finished her ministrations and hopped up the steps with her shirt back in its pristine form. Then, just as she got to the top step to enter the parlor, she stumbled and landed at the Professor's feet.

Tonks gave up. She rolled over onto her back and pillowed her head with her arms only to find Lupin peering down at her in concern. She murmured, "You really are too bloody tall."

"And I think you're getting too comfortable. Come on, up you go. We've a long ride ahead," said Lupin as he pulled her to her feet.

But as he she rose, their gaze met and Lupin hesitated just a moment before realizing there was no reason to continue touching her. He abruptly moved away before she vented her displeasure at him. "Tea?"

"Yeah, make mine plain, thanks," said Tonks when she could find her voice. She sat in the other armchair by the coffee table and fidgeted for a moment until she finally decided to say something, anything, to deal with the awkward silence.

"I'm glad I was able to find Wolf Rock again. I was worried I wasn't heading at the Muggle lighthouse with sufficient speed."

"Again?" asked Lupin, then he suddenly looked uncomfortable. "You've actually come here before?"

"Yeah, when I was an apprentice, I had to retrieve a magic conch from the base of Wolf Rock. Mad-eye never told me he had a spotter, though. I thought the lighthouse was uninhabited. You don't see the plants on the landing until you're on top of them."

Lupin cleared his throat. He now understood why Tonks had seemed so familiar to him at the Randy Boar. But was his water nymph really his valkyrie? The words slipped out of him without thinking. "You were wearing your hair blonde."

"You saw me that closely?" Tonks asked, and followed Lupin's gaze as it went to a spyglass at the window. Window! She started blushing, then she got annoyed. "You, you should have made your presence known instead of, of spying--Oh, Merlin!"

"Moody didn't specify he was testing an apprentice. He just said to tell him if I saw any intruder," said Lupin.

"So you only saw me find the magic seashell?" asked Tonks in relief.

Lupin was silent. He could confirm her question and that would be the end of it, but it would also be a lie. Oh, how he wished he were Sirius at the moment. However, his silence alone was damning.

"You saw me, didn't you? And you just let me frolic in a private pool?"

"I couldn't very well go down and introduce myself to you," said Lupin in exasperation. "I don't fancy being hexed into the Old Kingdom."

The words then began tumbling out of Tonks as she leaned over the table to face Lupin. "Look, I never would have gone swimming in the pool if I'd known someone was at the lighthouse! You should have, I don't know, sent an owl--"

"I don't have one."

"Sent a Patronus?" suggested Tonks a bit louder.

"You wouldn't have understood," replied Lupin as he, too, leaned forward.

"Tossed a rock at me?"

"Most folks don't take kindly to projectiles."

"Screamed at me from your window?" Tonks was practically screaming now in example.

"My voice won't carry against the sea." Lupin's hoarse voice belied his words.

Their noses were practically touching in their confrontation. Tonks began, "Well, you, I, I-- I--thanks for not telling Mad-eye about, about my lapse in judgment."

Tonks sat down and turned her back to Lupin. Wonderful to know she had been embarrassing herself in front of this man for years. At least she had the modesty to transform her bra and nickers into a bikini on that afternoon.

"What exactly could I have told him?" asked Lupin as he also sat back in his chair. "Alastor, I spotted the target and then spent the next hour playing voyeur?"

He huffed in disgust of himself. He really was an old lecher, wasn't he? He was certain Tonks wouldn't want to have anything to do with him now.

In the meantime Tonks realized that she had been ogled by a man who was not a drunken sot. A very intelligent, non-lecherous sort of man, in fact. She peered at Lupin over her shoulder and said defensively, "It was not an hour."

"Right, it was eighty-six minutes that I spied on a water nymph sunbathing," said Lupin glumly. Might as well admit it all. He sat there quietly looking down at the table waiting for Tonks to hex him for watching her all those years ago. And in truth, he couldn't blame her. Or if she was feeling merciful, she'd just walk out his door.

Two words registered through her distress. Water nymph? That made her sound appealing and desirable and feminine. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. She also couldn't believe she was asking, "So, did you like what you saw?"

Her question caught him by surprise, but he interpreted it as sarcasm. He chuckled softly and asked, "Isn't that a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't question? Of course I liked what I saw. Now, if you're going to hex me, Nymphadora, just do it."

She kept her back turned toward him because she suddenly realized she had a stupid grin on her face. Tonks adjusted it into a smirk as she turned to face Lupin. "Oh, no, Professor, I'll get my payback, but it'll come when you least expect it."

Lupin narrowed his eyes suspiciously, although he was relieved she hadn't abandoned him. "Somehow I don't think that's a kindness."

"It's a necessity," said Tonks as she fell into her professional Auror mode. She had a mission here and needed time to savor the new bit of information about Lupin before she acted on it. "We've got to get you settled in Order headquarters tonight."

"It was good of you to come," said Lupin sincerely as he released a sigh. At least they could regain their professional relationship. "I apologize for the way things have turned out tonight."

Tonks smiled gently at him this time. "Remus, I don't regret coming to help you. In fact, this is just what I should have expected in a rather bad day. Scrimgeour chewed me out for using more force than necessary on a nasty bunch of kidnappers. Wound up at Fortescue's this afternoon attacking a giant sundae."

"Surely that brightened your spirits," said Lupin as he took a sip of his tea.

"Yeh, until I ran across Emmeline Vance," murmured Tonks as she rested her chin on a hand. "I saw her with some bloke and she felt compelled to explain her lifestyle to me."

"Ah," said Lupin as if he well understood.

"Don't tell me you have firsthand knowledge of her sexual freedom?" asked Tonks with a bit of alarm rising in her.

Lupin actually laughed at that thought. "No, other than her escapades with Sirius that is. I still can't believe the kitchen table." Lupin shook his head and then added, "I have seen her in the clutches of various men, but I always make a point of discussing defense against Dark Creatures that use regurgitation as their attack when I find myself in conversation with her. So I never got to hear about her other conquests."

Tonks laughed brightly at the image that Lupin had managed to convey to Emmeline over the years. No wonder she the other woman had found so boring. It was what Lupin intended.

"Emmeline does have unique ideas," said Tonks. "She even suggested that I--how did she put it? Attend to my cousin's needs next time."

Lupin felt his heart contract at the mere thought of such a thing. Was Tonks interested in her cousin? But if this is what Tonks wanted, who was he to discourage her? Why shouldn't he be an advocate for his best mate? Because plainly and simply, Tonks belonged more to him than she did to Sirius.

The thought shocked him. Although his mind understood that Tonks could never truly be his woman, his heart compelled him to say, "I think Sirius sees you like a little sister. "

He watched Tonks closely for signs of heartbreak, but she just smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "That's what I said."

Lupin didn't realize he was holding his breath until he found he could exhale. He thought of some way to change the subject and said, "I'm glad the mud didn't ruin your shirt. The aqua suits you."

"I thought about changing the color to pea soup green," she teased, "but I'm beginning to find the shade aversive. Thanks to you, Professor." She raised her teacup in salute.

"I see that as my personal mission in life," agreed Lupin with a nod.

Tonks was about to take a sip, but sputtered and starting laughing. It was one of those infectious laughs where one joins in without understanding what is so funny.

"What?" asked Lupin when he finally caught his breath.

Tonks regained her composure. "You don't believe in whirled peas?"

"Tell me this is payback for watching you sunbathing?" groaned Lupin as he put his head into his hands.

"Nope, it's for the mud bath you graciously provided at my arrival," said Tonks with a grin. But when he looked up, she reminded him as she held up a finger to halt whatever hex he was preparing, "I blame my dad, who in fact supports both world peace and whirled peas."

"I don't think he realizes what he unleashed upon the wizarding world."

"Don't tell me you don't have any peculiar relatives," said Tonks as she glanced at the portraits in the parlor.

There was a distinct pattern to their clothing, even the ones who were clearly pirates. Tonks considered Lupin's reference to being hexed into the Old Kingdom and asked, "Remus, are you descended from refugees of Lyonesse? The kingdom created by Tristram and Iseult?"

"That's the rumor, but from the bastard branch," admitted Lupin.

"So no wealth or prestige like the Blacks?" asked Tonks.

"Right, Trevilion, their son, rode the white horse out of the waves and onto Perranuthnoe when Lyonesse was lost to the sea on November 11, 1099. But Tristram had a bastard son, also named Tristram, who clung onto dear life at Wolf Rock. He had the help of a sea witch named Diuset, quite the hag apparently, but he became her lover as part of the bargain for saving his life and left her with a son."

Tonks frowned. "He didn't marry her?"

"No, but then, my line is full of bastards both in the literal and metaphorical sense. Tristram left Diuset after his year was up and promptly got himself eaten by the Cornish giant, Wrath of Portreath."

"So your progenitor's bones are lying in Ralph's Cupboard?" Tonks referred to the cave now named after the legendary giant.

"Frankly, I bless the hag that created my line; I think that's where we got our intellect. Rather than honor Tristram the Dimwit, Diuset gave the name of Lupin to her son and so it has been passed on ever since. This lighthouse has only existed since 1791, though."

"It may not be a noble heritage, but I must admit, this Diuset sounds quite colorful. She was probably better off without Tristram the Dimwit."

"Personally, I find the pirates in the family more interesting than the fops." Lupin rose and nodded to a portrait of a man in classic pirate gear. "This is Jack the Sea Wolf."

Tonks stood up to inspect the features. The pirate clearly winked at her after giving her an appraising look. The scoundrel then called to Lupin, "There's a nice wench! Well, come on, then. Let's see you steer your keel into her harbor."

Tonks stood there with her mouth hanging open, but Lupin just pushed her gently away from view as he said, "Sorry, Jack, no one's testing these waters. Go back to your mermaids."

And indeed in the background, two mermaids were sitting on a rock blowing kisses to the pirate. "Ye've got no heart..."

Tonks was laughing at the antics of the pirate as she sat back down. "He must make for entertaining company."

"Jack is rather annoying, but you're right, one can never be alone with him around," agreed Lupin. They both took another sip of tea as they found themselves relaxing with each other.

Tonks glanced out the window and saw the waning moon. As it was still quite full, she asked Lupin, "Did you have a good night last night? I mean, I'm sure a transformation can never be good. Even changing my hair color sends prickles down my spine, but, I..."

Tonks' voice dropped off, but then she controlled her embarrassment and said, "I was watching Wimples transform without being able to control it, and, er, I was just worried about how it was with you."

Lupin was touched by her concern. People would often ask him about full moon motivated by morbid curiosity. Tonks managed to convey a sincere regard for his well being. "The Wolfsbane doesn't dampen the pain, but it does calm the cravings."

"It lets you keep your human mind, but do you still think like Remus Lupin?"

"The thoughts are more images and emotions than words. If I relax, then sometimes I sleep and actually dream, though."

"Really? Wolf dreams or human dreams?"

"A little of both, although last night was quite peculiar," admitted Lupin. He saw her quirk her eyebrow in question and continued. "I dreamt that I was a werewolf, but in miniature, like the creatures we found in the tower room."

"Incorporating daily events into dreams. Very human, I'd say."

"But I kept shrinking until I was about half a meter tall," said Lupin.

Tonks giggled at the image. "Like some doll?"

"I was quite relieved when I quit shrinking, but then you came around--"

"Me? I was in your dream?" asked Tonks.

"Well, yes, but I'll explain the connection. You see, you came around and decided to adopt me as a pet."

"Ah." Tonks nodded, it make perfect sense.

"But then you kept calling me Wimples, which irritated me no end, but every time I snarled at you, you'd just feed me another vegetable."

"Don't tell me. Peas?"

"Thankfully, no, or it would have been a real nightmare. No, I had to give up protesting when I suddenly looked at myself and realized I was indeed a were-rabbit."

Tonks was laughing outright now. "Oh, you poor thing."

"Precisely. You can't imagine my chagrin when I found all I had was a bit of fluff instead of a nice, long tuft."

"Oh, what a shocking--" began Tonks.

"--tale," echoed Lupin as they both voiced the pun.

"My Dad's gonna love you," said Tonks with a laugh. She looked away quickly, though. It would be rather easy to love him, wouldn't it? The thought was disturbing, so she took a deep breath and added, "I think we best get going. I want to make sure you're settled into Grimmauld Place tonight. Aren't the Weasley's moving in tomorrow?"

"Actually, Moody said they were waiting another two days so that Hermione Granger, one of Harry Potter's friends, could join them. She'll be sharing a room with Ginny Weasley," explained Lupin. "But that means I have a few days to get settled myself."

"Good, well, we better load up."

"It's this trunk of clothes, those two crates with books and what not and--"

"The vitrola. Mad-eye said you wouldn't travel without it."

"Mad-eye was the one who insisted I bring it. He really fancies Swing," said Lupin as he rubbed his nose.

"Swing? As in dance music?"

"It's a sight to behold, believe you me," confirmed Lupin with a slight smile.

"By all means, we must bring this instrument of mayhem, then," said Tonks as they levitated the cargo up the stairs to the landing.

They worked in silence to balance their cargo on their broom harnesses. Then with the waning moon to light their path, they made their journey back to London.

A few Muggles who were stargazing might have seen the odd shapes in the night sky. But the brooms would soon speed away, especially when Tonks decided to challenge Lupin to a race. Of course, the heavy cargo and the age of their brooms made it more like two turtles racing, but that didn't diminish the thrill of the night ride.

- - - - - - - - -

When Tonks finally got to her bed in the early morning hours, she fell fast asleep with a smile on her face. So what if she wasn't the picture of femininity? She was girl enough for Lupin to notice and that was a fine place to start. Now the question was, how far did she want this to go?

And Lupin? He was just happy not to have been hexed into the Old Kingdom. Or been transformed into a were-rabbit. Or forced to eat pea soup. Above all, he was glad that Nymphadora Tonks was not just a memory as he again fell asleep in Tonks Territory.

_End of Chapter _

Minor edits.

Author Notes:  
The puns should diminish after this story as the characters start being able to really talk to each other. This should give you some background for both Lupin and Tonks, but at least we now see Tonks getting some information that will give her confidence with Lupin. Again, people tend to portray Tonks as a hip young witch and in my first variation of this story, she was very comfortable in being a woman. However, her reactions in HBP made me think of her as open-minded, but still old-fashioned in a lot of respects. And the tomboy nature would certainly fall in with this.

Wolf Rock is a real lighthouse, but not officially part of the Isles of Scilly, so I made the Muggle version a decoy for the one in the wizarding world.

The legend of Lyonesse is based on real legend including the survival of Trevilion (Trevelyn). But the story about the bastard Tristram and the hag Diuset is completely made up.

The Cornish phrase should translate correctly, although the language has been pretty much lost over time from what I could tell.

The revelations about Emmeline don't mean that you should write her off as a night's passing fancy for Sirius. Perhaps she'll trip over her own emotions before the year is out.

Thanks for reading. I know this chapter had little action, but the point now is to get the two characters to talk to each other and make discoveries. So, thanks for the support.


	6. Strategic Moves

Summary: Tonks sees the two faces of Lupin. Who's the one at her flat?

**NYMPH vs WOLF**_**  
Strategic Moves**_

Nymphadora Tonks sat on a low wall surrounding the courtyard at the Ministry of Magic and yawned. She had served her first round of guard duty for the Order last night. Of course, the night before that she had been at the lighthouse at Wolf Rock, so she began the day a bit sleep deprived, but her low level of energy came from her professional duties.

A squib had reported sighting Sirius Black in London last night. Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror offices at the Ministry, had sent Tonks to verify the eyewitness account and question Muggles and Wizards about this in the local area. In the meantime, her more esteemed colleagues mapped out the sweep that would be made in London tonight. Then, in spite of all her foot work, Tonks had been summarily excluded from the Aurors who would do the raids tonight. Several of her older male colleagues decided they wanted a chance at glory in being the one to nab the notorious villain.

What they didn't know was that Tonks had also spent her day setting the decoys that Kingsley Shacklebolt would conveniently find as evidence that Sirius Black had fled the London and the British Isles to boot.

"You owe me one, Sirius," she murmured to herself. She thought she'd drop by number twelve later to check on her cousin, but then, he had Lupin.

Tonks leaned her head back and let her eyes drift closed. She'd been too busy today to even think about her recent discoveries about the Professor. She murmured, "Water nymph."

Lupin realized she was a woman, but was that a good thing? It wasn't as if she found him particularly attractive, he was simply too tall. But his hands were truly beautiful and his eyes made you forget about his long nose. Even the scars across his face faded away when you looked into those eyes. He was--older.

Tonks sighed. Was she developing a school girl crush on the Professor? And how did Lupin really see her? Water nymphs were rather flighty creatures of little substance, forever young, forever immature. And if Sirius thought of her as a little sister, what would Lupin see? Was Lupin also playing at Big Brother?

The young Auror sat quietly on the wall with one leg swinging loosely. It wasn't a very mature pose, but the hedge blocked her from sight of others entering the courtyard. Then Tonks dully registered footsteps entering the courtyard. Her heart began to race when she recognized the voices: Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"...so I've gotten to know her better during the past year, but what did you think of Tonks after your little run in with her?" Kingsley's deep voice was easy to recognize.

"Run in is an understatement. I don't think I've met a clumsier girl since I was at Hogwarts. I assume she was a constant plague to her teachers there, too."

Lupin's voice was not indulgent. In fact he sounded quite annoyed. Tonks sat up in alarm and wrapped her arms around her knees as she sat still. She held her breath as she continued to listen in.

"She does have her quirks," agreed Kingsley.

"Quirks? No, I'd say she's rather immature." Lupin's tone was vehement. "I still find it hard to believe she met the criteria for Auror training; she seemed easily distracted to me. I suppose with work she'll become a competent Auror, but I don't envy your having to work with her. I found Tonks to be annoying and reckless myself."

Tonks was so stunned that she peered through the branches of the hedge to confirm that it was indeed Remus Lupin talking. Although he had his back to her, she'd recognize his tall frame anywhere. Kingsley was saying something in her defense, but she didn't register it. She quietly left the bench and took the side exit.

The three men in the courtyard never knew she was there. "Lupin, once again you're showing how poorly you judge someone's qualities," said Rufus Scrimgeour once Kingsley had his say. He had been standing such that his presence was blocked from Tonks' view by the other two men. Scrimgeour continued, "Tonks has proven herself very adept as an Auror. However, youth can embrace passing whimsies with a lot of passion and little foresight. I'd hate to have our investment in her training wasted by her getting involved with Dumbldedore's fantasies or one of your frivolous campaigns.."

"I don't see Werewolf Rights as frivolous." Lupin then relied on his ability as an Occlumens to embellish again, "But I assure you that I wouldn't recruit someone that flighty and unreliable."

"So you just happened to be at Kings Mall the other morning when Tonks was dealing with Alastor Moody?" asked Scrimgeour. He had become concerned when Tonks' report of the incident had mentioned assistance from Remus Lupin.

"I was out for my morning walk and recognized Moody, so of course I offered to help," replied Lupin smoothly. "Frankly I'm surprised you sent the girl to deal with the man. Moody can be dangerous in his paranoia. So is this what your summons was about?"

"Yes, and to tell you that Umbridge's proposal has gone through. We'll need registered werewolves to submit to silver screening."

"That's inhuman," said Lupin. "That legislation requires that werewolves be tested for susceptibility to silver poisoning by being stabbed with a silver knife. It's nothing more than torture."

"Aurors will be performing the procedure given its dangerous nature," said Scrimgeour while Kingsley frowned behind his back at the news.

"But it's nothing but Muggle nonsense. Silver has no effect on real werewolves," insisted Lupin.

"Do you know for certain? Have you ever been stabbed with silver?" asked Kingsley.

"And if I have and felt no ill effects other than from the stab wound, would that convince the Ministry not to implement this--this screening procedure? I didn't think so," said Lupin as Scrimgeour shook his head. "Tell me, how can werewolves be assured that some poison won't be slipped onto the silver blade that will be used for this screening?"

"You'll be notified of the schedule," said Scrimgeour as he left without answering the question.

Lupin and Kingsley stood silently for a moment, then the Auror moved them further into the courtyard and cast an imperturbable charm around them so they could speak freely. Kingsley put a hand on Lupin's shoulder. "I'm sorry, mate."

"Will you do it?" asked Lupin. "I won't trust anyone but you."

"I won't like it, but I'm not going to leave you in a vulnerable position," replied Kingsley. He looked cautiously at Lupin. "But if I'm not available, you need a backup. How much of that tirade against Tonks was real?"

Lupin took a deep breath before murmuring softly, "None of it, but we can't afford to get Scrimgeour suspicious of her activities for the Order. I'd trust Tonks with the knife, but I'd hate to put her in that position. Of course, it might be suitable payback for her."

"Payback?" asked Kingsley. "Nothing, just thinking odd thoughts. I better inform Dumbledore about this new development. Maybe he can find a way to postpone this ridiculous excuse for torturing the innocent."

"One more thing, Remus. I'm leading a sweep of London tonight. Sirius Black was spotted at a night club last night by a reliable squib who reports to the Ministry."

"I can confirm it wasn't him, but I'll pass on the danger," assured Lupin. "I'll see you later."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

Once Lupin returned to Grimmauld Place, the day continued to go from bad to worse. He saw Sirius dressed in a fine set of robes. They were much too fancy for an evening commiserating over the sorry state of their lives. In fact, Lupin would have thought that Sirius was--

"You're not thinking of going out, are you?"

Sirius quickly transformed into Snuffles and barked at him enthusiastically. He wagged his tail just to add to the effect.

"Oh no, no walkies. You're supposed to remain at the house," said Lupin as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Snuffles barked again and even approached to lick Lupin's hand. "Get away! Now you stop that! Dog drool will get you nowhere."

"How about a bribe? I found a stash of chocolate." Sirius had transformed and was now dangling a bar of Honeydukes finest in front of Lupin.

Chocolate. It would almost be worth it, thought Lupin, as Sirius slipped the bar into his suit coat's outer pocket.

"Don't wait up. I'll be at Emmeline's." Sirius was about to go out the door when Lupin finally moved.

"No, you're not going to Emmiline's. You're not stepping one foot out of that door."

"But, Moony!" Sirius gave his friend his best pleading eyes.

"No." Lupin was standing firm.

"Remus, come on. You know you'll give in. You always do."

"No, Sirius. We're not boys sneaking out of Hogwarts anymore. It's dangerous for you out there, especially tonight," insisted Lupin.

"But you don't understand! Once the Weasleys are here, I won't be able to go out. Molly's worse than a watchdog. It's my only chance to have some fun until the term starts at Hogwarts. Be a pal, Moony. Just stand aside, look the other way. You can say I sneaked past you."

"No, not anymore, Padfoot," said Lupin. He put his hands on Sirius' shoulders wanting to shake some sense into the other man. "Do you think I want to lose you? Merlin knows you're arrogant, self-centered, and reckless, but the only thing bigger than your ego is your heart."

"Well, it's nice to know I have one good quality," muttered Sirius.

"You're my oldest friend, the only one left. I don't want to be your gaoler, Sirius, but I refuse to be your gravedigger." Lupin was pleased to see Sirius take on a concerned expression as he continued, "I will not let you run off tonight. Kingsley's leading a sweep because some squib spotted the notorious Black in London."

Sirius nodded as if he accepted the edict, but then shook his head. "You don't want to see EmmelineVance when she's been stood up for a date, Moony. All the Aurors in London wouldn't match her wrath."

"You walk out that door and it won't be Emmeline who's kissing you, it'll be a Dementor," insisted Lupin. He was pleased to see his friend pale a bit at the thought, but it also wrung his heart. "Look, tell Emmeline to come over here tonight."

"I thought you were upset with our--"

"I'll leave you two the house, just promise me you won't go out."

"Well, I suppose she'll agree."

"Write the note and I'll send the owl," said Lupin. It wouldn't take much time to apparate to the Owlery at Diagon Alley. He was fairly certain he would get a quick reply, especially after he attached his Howler about her endangering Sirius by coaxing him out.

- - - - - - - - - -

Fifteen minutes later, Lupin was opening the door to Emmeline Vance.

"Hello, Remus, it's nice of you to be so accommodating. Are you sure you won't stay?" asked Emmeline with a note of humor underlying her suggestion.

Lupin merely leaned in to quietly ask, "I have your assurance he's not leaving the house?"

Emmeline smiled. "I know how to keep him occupied, Remus. Now run along. Ah, Sirius, you wicked man! You look quite dashing and all for me?"

"Of course." Sirius gallantly bowed and said, "I have dinner for us in the kitchen. I'll be right there after I have a word with Remus."

"Oh, the kitchen again?" called Emmeline over her shoulder.

"It's just for eating. Food," called Lupin with emphasis. He shook his head as he heard her laughter trailing back. He turned to Sirius to severely admonish him, "Not on the kitchen table!"

"The kitchen table will remain inviolable. I just wanted to give you my word that I won't try to sneak out," assured Sirius. He was about to turn to follow Emmeline when he said, "You know, I was trying to be considerate of your sensibilities tonight, Moony."

Lupin quirked an eyebrow, but understood from experience that his friend was sincere, if misguided. "I understand, Padfoot, but I far more appreciate your being alive than discrete."

"Well, here," said Sirius as he suddenly stuffed a handful of galleons into the inner pocket of Lupin's suit coat.

"What?" Lupin pulled out the money and looked at his palm. "What the hell is this?"

"You'll need lodging tonight."

"I don't need your charity, Sirius," said Lupin stiffly as he placed the money on the entry table. He was out the door before Sirius could say anything else.

"Stubborn, stiff-necked git!" Sirius then shrugged. It wasn't as if Lupin didn't have his own house to go to. He forgot about it as soon as he heard Emmeline calling.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Lupin took ten steps before the light mist began. He let his feet take him around a series of growing puddles until he wound up at the bookstore Tonks had shown him. He randomly pulled out a book and sat down in a chair by the window. The rain was now a real downpour, but the awning of the shop kept the window clear. The Professor looked at the binder to see what his reading material would be: _Werewolves of London_ by Brian Stableford. Perfect, he thought, as he rolled his eyes. Why not indulge in some Muggle nonsense about his kind?

He put his mind to the book and didn't bother to wonder why he had selected the window seat. It's not as if Tonks would be walking along at any time; she'd probably apparate. Besides, in this rain she would be difficult to detect--except for her bright umbrella. He told himself to quit thinking about her and became absorbed in the book. He especially identified with a character named Pelorus.

But Tonks was in fact walking home under the protection of her bright umbrella rather than apparating tonight. A celery stalk indicated the contents of the bag she carried in one hand. She was dodging a puddle in front of the bookstore when her attention was caught by the sight of a familiar lanky frame she spotted through the window.

There he was, Professor R. J. Lupin, once again seeking refuge at the Muggle bookstore. Since he wasn't at number twelve tonight, she could well imagine who was. The man was very accommodating to his real friends. Tonks felt her anger flair and didn't think twice before tapping the window to get his attention.

Lupin looked up when he heard the rapping. He was a bit disturbed by the warm feeling that seemed to rush through his body at the sight of Nymphadora Tonks. It would never do to foster tender feelings toward her, but try as he might, he found himself returning her wave. Worse, when Tonks crooked her finger to summon him out of the store and under the awning, his feet immediately obeyed her command rather than his own rational thought. He needed to put distance between himself and the water nymph and that was not going to happen by running after her like some lovesick puppy.

"Wotcher, Remus," said Tonks amiably as he stepped out. She smiled tightly as she wondered how she could skin such a tall man. The first thing to do was to draw him to her lair and that required using honey rather than vinegar. "Been kicked out?"

"Volunteered, actually. Sirius was thinking of slipping out to see Emmeline--"

"That randy git! He'd ruin everything! Kingsley and I baited the sweep the Aurors are doing to show he's fled the country. Damn!"

"Calm down, Sirius isn't going anywhere. We reached a compromise, so, Emmeline is there for the night and I'm here."

Poor puppy, thought Tonks as she caught her breath, then she hardened her heart. Lupin was a fraud, albeit with soulful eyes. "Look, Remus, my flat is just a short walk from here," said Tonks as she nodded toward the direction. "I can actually brew a cup of tea. That's the limits of my cooking, but I'm sure I have something for sandwiches besides celery."

Tonks' voice fell off as a closed expression crossed his face. Which Lupin was she facing now? The man from Wolf Rock or the man at the Ministry? His silence seemed to be answer enough. She shrugged and added, "Well, I just thought."

She turned to walk away when she heard him calling. "Nymphadora, wait."

She stopped long enough to correct him, "It's Tonks."

"Tonks," echoed Lupin, "are you sure you want to invite me to your flat? Most women wouldn't want a werewolf to know where they lived."

"I'm not most women, Remus. I'm an Auror or have you forgotten?" asked Tonks as she turned to face him. "But if this is a polite way to make your escape--"

"Escape?" asked Lupin as a frown crossed his face. Actually, that is just what he should be doing, but instead his voice betrayed him. "No, I'm not."

He stopped talking and took the umbrella from her hand. "Please, lead the way."

As they walked, Lupin was confused by the signals Tonks was sending. She invited him to her flat, but was walking stiffly by his side as if he had offended her. In fact, she seemed to be taking special steps to splash through each puddle on their way. His shoulders were dry put his trouser legs were getting soaked.

"I thought you didn't care for mud baths," muttered Lupin after the third deliberate splash. "Is this your idea of payback for the peeking? I just want to know so I can keep the record straight."

Tonks felt her lips quirking into a smile at his question. "No, I was just thinking of an old Muggle song about singing in the rain."

She ended her statement with another big splash. To her surprise Lupin merely began whistling the tune. Tonks tried one more malicious splash, but found herself doing it in time with the melody. She began smiling as her anger fell away and settled for more delicate sloshings that added percussion to the whistling song. She even found herself singing, "Lala la la lala la la la lala..."

In the meantime, Lupin was lost in a childhood memory where the roles were reversed. It was a woman carrying an umbrella while a sullen young boy sloshed through the puddles. Her patient attitude had paid off and the boy had soon been smiling as he also hit the puddles in rhythm.

Lupin brought himself fully back to the present as he noticed Tonks giggling at their antics. "Ah, I see that subjecting me to water torture has brightened your spirits."

"Being with you has brightened my spirits." The words had slipped out without thought, but Tonks looked down shyly after she said them while Lupin suddenly found a passing tree interesting. He felt as if he were preening inside at her comment. The feelings she evoked were far too dangerous.

In the meantime, Tonks told herself to remember that Lupin was a two-faced liar, so she offered her first probe. "I saw you at the Ministry today."

Lupin looked at her sharply. "Really? I'm sorry I missed you. I didn't think it was a good idea to look you up when I was there. Rufus Scrimgeour doesn't approve of me. In fact, he never sees me unless Kingsley's there to act as intermediary."

"He's afraid of you?" asked Tonks.

"Scrimgeour doesn't trust me. Thinks I take after my father and he also knows I'm Dumbledore's man," said Lupin. He remembered his words against Tonks and added, "He wouldn't like the idea of you associating with me."

"So I should disavow any knowledge of you?" asked Tonks.

"No, but if he asks about me, reveal only the negative. You have plenty to draw upon," reminded Lupin.

"I understand," assured Tonks. The conversation she had overheard was beginning to make sense in light of this information, but now they had arrived at the candle shop.

"Here we are," said Tonks as she led him to a stoop at the back of the building and waved her wand. The door opened to a storage area with stairs ascending to the second floor while another door led into the residence at the back of the shop.

"My landlady is a squib who makes decorative candles as well as scones. She discounts my rent in exchange for my keeping the protective wards intact."

"Good work," offered Lupin as he inspected the wards that protected the building. The Auror had been very thorough. "Moody would be proud."

"Thanks, it beats having to share a flat." But as soon as Tonks opened the door, they heard a hoarse little snarl coming from a top hat that sat on the table at her entry hall. Tonks folded her umbrella and tapped the rim of the hat calling, "Wimples! Stop that. It's just Remus."

The vorpal bunny peered at Lupin, but Tonks lifted the hat with the lepine and walked to the kitchen. "I bet you're hungry. Here, have some celery."

She pulled Wimples out of his hat and gave him a celery stalk to nibble before turning to Lupin. "Why don't you start some tea? And help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I just got some fresh vegetables for Wimples. Right now I need to get out of this Auror uniform. Feel free to kick off your shoes."

She said the last as she sent hers flying into a corner, then disappeared into her bedroom cooing at the were-rabbit who was snarling at Lupin as he was carried over Tonks' shoulder in between crunching on the vegetable.

While Lupin normally wouldn't have considered going barefoot at a strange house, he found his socks were uncomfortably wet. He called the spell to dry the socks and the hem of his trouser legs that were damp from all the splashing, but it felt good to get to bare feet. He did take the trouble to put his shoes neatly by the door, however.

Lupin walked to her small kitchen and soon had the teapot going. It had an extended surface that served as a breakfast counter, but sitting on a stool to eat didn't seem as inviting as the sofa in the small flat. He peered across the room to see that Tonks did have a coffee table.

He decided to take off his suit coat and felt the weight in the outside pocket. He pulled out the Honeydukes bar and smiled. "Compliments of Sirius Black. Thank you, sir, for providing dessert."

He loosened his tie, unbuttoned his collar, and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt as he rummaged through Tonks' pantry and Muggle refrigerator. The activity helped him deal with the fact he was nervous. He'd never been invited into a young woman's flat before. He didn't count Lily because then he'd always been with James.

"It's not like this is a date, you git," he mumbled to himself as he made the sandwiches. "She's just a nice girl who understands about having randy roommates. She's just returning the same hospitality you showed her at Wolf Rock."

He nodded to himself, then said miserably, "Besides, even if you wanted to take her out, you're too old, too poor, and too dangerous." Lupin sighed

. - - - - - - - - - -

While Lupin was seeing seeing to their supper, Tonks was in her bedroom fretting over Wimples and why she had even invited Lupin to her flat. Still, she quickly scrubbed her face and took off her black oxford shirt and trousers. As she looked around, she found she had no clean blue jeans.

"Why didn't you do the laundry, Wimples?" she asked indulgently as he settled on the floor to gnaw at his celery stalk. He twitched his ears.

"Right, it's not your job description. I'll just slip on one of the dresses I never wear. Mum would be so proud," said Tonks. She pulled out a yellow dress dotted with tiny pink flowers. While it came to mid-calf, it had a slit in front to allow freedom of movement. She freshened her perfume, but wondered why she bothered.

"What do you think? Is he for real or a backstabbing git?" asked Tonks as she leaned down to stroke Wimples. He wrinkled his nose at her question, so she gave him a last pat on the head and opened the door to her living room. Her first thought then was: Busted!

- - - - - - - - - - -

Lupin had two plates with sandwiches and two cups of tea ready before Tonks re-appeared. He made his way to the sofa and placed the goods, including the chocolate bar, on the coffee table. He was moving items off the sofa when he saw a book on the seat. He picked it up to lay it aside, but heard Tonks open the door just as he held the book in his hand and read the title. _Seven Steps to Seduction._

Their gaze met a cross the room and Lupin quickly put the book down while Tonks cringed inside as she realized what he had found.

"Uh, the book was in the way," murmured Lupin as he quickly sat down and raked a hand through his hair.

Tonks felt the flush rising, but then the imp in her realized Lupin also was looking distinctly uncomfortable. She decided it was best to be laughed with than laughed at., and if she wound up embarrassing Lupin, it was the payback he deserved.

"According to that book I should always wear my hair blonde." Tonks tossed her head and the pink spikes became long, blonde locks as she stood in the doorway.

Lupin frowned lightly. He thought pink suited her best, but he remained silent.

"But that's not my only failing. See, I should change my name to something like Boopsie, er, no, Bambi."

"Bambi?" repeated Lupin. She couldn't be serious, could she? "I should be wearing something sexy which means tight and revealing," she said as a hand was gliding down the dress that covered her body modestly, "but I prefer to be comfortable."

"A wise choice," agreed Lupin readily. Actually, her dress emphasized her feminine features quite nicely without revealing too much skin.

"Then I should saunter over to you with a sultry stare," she exaggerated the gait and gaze of a model on the catwalk.

That's when Lupin noticed the flash of skin as she walked. The trim expanse of leg was all the more alluring for the brief glimpses that were offered. Suddenly she tripped on a cushion on the floor, but had the presence of mind to turn it into a pratfall. Lupin saw a hand go up through the pile of green feathers wafting from the ruptured cushion, declaring, "I'm okay!"

Lupin bit back a smile as Tonks found her feet again after blowing a lime green feather off her lips. She was entirely enchanting in this playful mode and it was clear she was making this whole thing into a joke.

But when she reached him, Tonks leaned forward with hands on her knees and whispered near his ear. "I should then say something like, 'Do you think it's getting hot in here?'"

Her sexy whisper induced an immediate blush and Lupin had to swallow the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat. He moved back to look into her eyes and with relief noted the twinkle of mischief still there. Actually, it was more beguiling than any artifice.

"I applaud your performance," said Lupin as he reached with a finger to touch a lock of blonde hair, "but could I have Tonks back, please? Her tea is getting cold."

Tonks' bright laughter let him know he'd managed to say the right thing. She tossed herself gracelessly beside him on the sofa and admitted, "Good, because I don't think I make a very good seductress, too much effort."

Tonks changed her hair to the short, pink spikes as Lupin asked, "Then why?" "Buy the book?"

Tonks shrugged as she grabbed a sandwich and nibbled on it. "Guess I just wanted to see what I'm always doing wrong." She craned her neck to look around. "You didn't see a line of men beating a path to my door, did you?"

"You had a number of admirers at the Randy Boar," reminded Lupin as he took a bite of his sandwich. Tonks grimaced. "That seems to be my lot in life. I'd rather stay single than settle for one of them."

"As a confirmed bachelor, I have no problem with that philosophy," agreed Lupin readily. Still, he had to consider that Tonks might soon be dating someone. He should feel relieved, but instead he found the sandwich had lost its taste.

"So should I applaud your performance at the Ministry courtyard this afternoon?" asked Tonks when Lupin was taking a sip of tea. "Or was that the real R.J. Lupin?"

_Cough. Cough_. Tonks whacked his back with vigor. "You poor man! Choking on the truth, are you?"

"I lied." Lupin's voice was quite hoarse as he got the words out.

"You what?"

"I lied to Scrimgeour," said Lupin as he met Tonks' gaze. Then he turned from her and repeated, "Tonks is immature, annoying, and reckless. I can't believe she met Auror criteria."

His voice was very harsh as he again repeated the insults. Lupin pinched the bridge of his nose and asked, "You heard something like that?"

"That was the gist of it," confirmed Tonks. She had turned her face away and her hands were fidgeting with a button on the front of her dress as they lay on her lap.

Lupin watched as his hand moved over hers and gently squeezed. It's not something he normally would have done, but when her movements stilled, he saw it as a sign he had offered no offense. "I'm sorry, Nymphadora, but you're too important to the Order for Scrimgeour not to trust you. Having Aurors on our side has made the difference in keeping Sirius safe. It was best to have him think that you'd be the last person I'd recruit for Dumbledore."

Tonks found herself idly rubbing the edge of his fingers with one of hers. "I guess you deserve payback for the splashing, huh?"

Lupin reluctantly extracted his hand and reached for his sandwich. "You're providing me with shelter and supper. I don't think I have any complaints."

He raised the sandwich in salute and took a bite. Lupin still expected her to kick him out the door, but instead she reached for a tea cup and raised it in a return salute before taking a drink. The Professor finally felt his body relax.

Tonks sipped her tea as she looked at him. His long fingers made eating a sandwich look elegant. His open shirt revealed a throat that was long and slender. She bet his skin would feel very warm, just like his hands had been. She shook off her thoughts and took a long sip of her tea.

- - - - - - - -

As they finished their supper, Tonks asked the question that had been on her mind earlier. "So how do you know that Muggle song so well? Singing in the Rain?"

Lupin was silent for a moment, but he realized that in the bright environment of Tonks' flat he was eager to talk about something that had long been painful for him. "My mother was a dance instructor. She appreciated an eclectic mix of music."

Tonks almost choked on her sandwich but managed to ask, "A dance teacher? Professor, do you boogie?"

The sauciness in her voice made him smile. "Ballroom dance, Boogie, Swing and Shag--and you know I'm referring to the dances, so take that smirk off of your face."

"No puns allowed? Or is it no puns aloud?" offered Tonks with a giggle before she stuffed the rest of her sandwich in her mouth and pointed. "Mmmmmm."

"Wise move," agreed Lupin, but he was shaking his head. He rather enjoyed her annoying little habits. Tonks swallowed and turned to face him looking completely angelic. "Your Mum taught you to dance?"

"By the time I was ten I was easily tall enough to serve as her partner, but I haven't danced since she--" Lupin's voice hesitated a moment. "She died right after I graduated from Hogwarts. My father soon followed."

"I'm sorry, Remus," said Tonks sincerely as she reached out to squeeze his arm. "Your parents must have been special people."

"Father was like the Wolf Rock itself and mother was--she was like a rainbow," said Lupin as he thought of her colorful dresses and her bright personality. "Every summer I'd help her at the dance studio she had in Hugh Town on St. Mary's. It was her busiest time, so that's how I spent my holidays, except for that one week in France. Even full moons didn't keep me away after a day."

"Lessons for the blokes on holiday?"

"And curious Aurors," said Lupin with a quiet laugh. "She taught Moody how to Swing."

"Now there's a brave woman," laughed Tonks. "How did she know Mad-eye? I thought you didn't meet him until you joined the first Order."

"I've known Moody all my life. He and Father were colleagues."

"Your father was an Auror? But you're the only Lupin on the Order roster."

"He was killed by Death Eaters before he could join. Although my lycanthropy prohibited my being trained as an Auror, I demanded that Moody let me help him find the killers. That's how my mates and I discovered the Order. Soon we were all joining."

Tonks prevented herself from asking whether he had avenged his father. "You lost so much in so little time, didn't you?"

"It seems that's how things happen to me. I've mostly led a quiet life. It's the bumps in the road that tend to be mountains," said Lupin with a quiet smile. "Time for dessert? Courtesy of my best mate and your dear cousin, by the way."

"How considerate of him," said Tonks with a grin.

Lupin broke the bar in half and gave her one piece. Then from his half he snapped off a square of chocolate, tossed it in the air and caught it deftly in his mouth.

"How did you do that?" Tonks was sitting up with her full attention on Lupin.

"Do what?" asked Lupin as he felt the chocolate melting in his mouth.

"You tossed it up and just caught it. I've never been able to do that," admitted Tonks. "Ah, but you didn't know Sirius when you were a child. He spent an entire afternoon in the infirmary teaching me how to gauge the toss when we were first years."

"Then as his cousin, I demand you share this legacy of knowledge. Come on, what's the trick?"

"Break off a small piece. It's best if the sides are even." Tonks snapped a jagged piece off the chocolate bar and grimaced. Lupin demonstrated patiently. "Just use your thumb and forefinger, yes, like, wait, no, uh, with your permission?"

Tonks smiled at his old fashioned manners, especially since he'd touched her before. "Please."

Lupin positioned her fingers over the chocolate bar with his hands. "See, just a little pressure and--" _Snap!_

Tonks smiled as she held up a mostly regular sized morsel. "Then you just toss it?"

"Hold it like this, good, then you have to anticipate the trajectory," explained Lupin. He took another piece and slowly flicked it up before expertly catching it again. "See, nothing to it."

Tonks looked at him a bit warily. "Here goes."

She tossed up the chocolate a bit high and both heads turned up to monitor its fall. Lupin closed his eyes just in time to avoid being stabbed by the falling confection, but it still bounced off his eyelid.

"Oh, Remus! Bloody hell, are you--here, let me see," insisted Tonks as she moved closer to him.

"I'm fine," assured Lupin, although his eye was watering from the impact. He blinked it only to find Tonks looming over him and the sweet smell of her perfume wafting all around him. She was using her hands on either side of his head to hold him.

"Still reckon I'm mostly harmless?" she asked in clear chagrin as she peered closely into his eye.

"You just need some practice," replied Lupin. His voice sounded particularly hoarse and he felt his heart beating at her proximity.

Tonks told herself to breathe and move away slowly. She let her hands drop as she sat back and said, "You're a masochist, aren't you?"

"Not quite. I'll just," and here he summoned her umbrella to him and unfurled it, "take cover."

Tonks was laughing at the sight of the grown man hiding under the rainbow umbrella. "Suit yourself, but I'm going to get this trick."

She managed to catch three morsels, although three others rebounded off the umbrella that Lupin quickly hoisted up at each toss.

"End of lesson; that's three that you've caught. I'll grade you at Exceeds Expectations," declared Lupin as he watched her catch the third morsel in her mouth. He let the umbrella fall away and leaned his head against the back of the sofa to catch his next piece.

Tonks was leaning back as well, just savoring the flavor and realizing that she had not spent such an enjoyable evening with a man in a very long time. Must be the chocolate, she thought. Tonks also realized that this was the real Remus Lupin and he was acting as immaturely as she was. The man at the Ministry had indeed been the fraud, but even that had been an attempt to protect her. Did the Professor care about her? Or was it just her value to the Order?

Tonks pushed those questions aside and muttered as she deftly tossed her last piece and caught it. "They should give OWLs for this."

"Messieurs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs actually developed their own set of OWLs during fifth year," said Lupin as the memory flooded his mind. "Four OWLs that each one of us contributed."

"Do tell, Professor, what were these Marauder OWLs?"

Lupin rolled his head to look at her and smiled. "First, the Edible Arsenal, including the infamous chocolate toss."

"Is that one Moony's?" asked Tonks as she tucked her legs under her.

Lupin nodded to confirm this. "Yes, but the real test was how many tidbits you could capture from the edible projectiles flicked at you. Lucky for me, I managed to engender an aversion to peas among my mates, but anything else was game. Thought I swallowed a spider once, but it was a Bertie Bott's. Anyway, we'd take advantage of any food fights that erupted."

"Ah, yes, food fights. I got detention for instigating a food fight once during Halloween," said Tonks. "It was the exploding pumpkins that got me detention, though. So what were the other OWLs?"

"There was the Castle Sweep, courtesy of Prongs, James Potter."

"Somehow I don't see the Marauder's engaging in such drudgery."

"Of course not, it meant riding through the castle halls on a broom," explained Lupin as he used his hand to to gesture the zooming broom.

Tonks sat up with a squeal. "Why didn't I ever think of that? I only ever buzzed the greenhouse."

"Special points for buzzing the dungeon, by the way." Lupin leaned his head back again as he named another. "Padfoot came up with Belling the Cat."

"Mrs. Norris? I put a ribbon on her tail, but never thought of a bell," murmured Tonks with a pout.

"Mrs. Norris was as far as the rest of us got, but Padfoot's target was actually McGonagall," said Lupin with a laugh as Tonks eyes went wide.

"Are you serious? No pun intended."

"Yes, Padfoot was determined to succeed and actually did on a bright sunny day at the end of term. See, he and James were called to her office so often they noticed some cat hair on a cushion near her window."

"McGonagall taking afternoon cat naps?" Tonks then covered her mouth with her hands in alarm. "I--"

"Blame your dad. I know, I know," assured Lupin. "Then there was Wormtail's."

An edge appeared in his voice and Tonks understood the source. The Order all knew the story of Pettigrew's betrayal. Lupin took a breath and continued, "Peter's was the Boggart Bait. We took turns stealing Boggarts from each other instead of saying Ridikulus. But we didn't gang up to confuse the Boggart; we'd step in front of each other in sequence. The idea was to see long we could handle the fear before someone else would jump in. With each round the Boggart became more menacing for James, though, so I put a stop to that."

"That sounds more malicious than any of the others," said Tonks.

"I never realized how much our OWLs revealed about our nature before," said Lupin as he leaned back to consider the implications. His head lolled toward her one more time. He had not felt this relaxed in ages, especially when he thought about Peter Pettigrew.

Tonks was smiling at him as she sat leaning her head on her hands against the back of the sofa. She thought he looked so young at the moment, even younger than his mid-thirties. She wondered for a moment what would have happened if he had introduced himself four years ago at Wolf Rock.

"So, what do you want to do now?" asked Tonks.

Lupin released a long sigh. "I suppose Wimples and I could entertain you by growling at each other all night."

Tonks laughed, "You've already scared him into staying in my bedroom. Poor thing's a nervous eater; he was attacking the celery with relish."

"I think I'll see if Sturgis Podmore will switch with me for guard duty. I can't go back to number twelve until morning," said Lupin as he sat up.

"Emmeline's there for the whole night?"

"That was the bargain."

"Can't you go to Wolf Rock? I suppose you need your broom once you take a floo to Land's End."

"No, I can summon the skiff we use to get across the sea," said Lupin. The question in her eyes was clear, so he explained, "We use the skiff for quick trips to get to and from the lighthouse from the coast or around the islands."

"Do you then apparate up to the lighthouse?"

"No, it," and here Lupin used his hand to show the vertical ascent, "whips you right up along the side of the tower. It's how we get down to the pool as well."

Tonks suddenly bounced on her knees. "Oh, I want to try it. Please? Pretty please?"

"I don't know--"

"Payback for the spying of the sunbathing, Professor," said Tonks as she pointed a finger at him "You owe me, unless you'd rather I get my revenge in kind? Let's see, I know which room you're sleeping in and where you'll be taking a ba--"

"Done," agreed Lupin firmly.

Tonks actually clapped her hands in delight. "Well, let's go then."

"We can't. I set a repairing spell before I left. It'll take a month for it to work if left unimpeded and I won't be able to start it again until the day after the next full moon."

"Oh," said Tonks with disappointment. "Well then, you'll have to let me know when you're going back."

Lupin merely nodded, although the thought that he had just made a tentative date with Tonks did enter his mind.

"How about, well, I don't have a chess set," said Tonks as she thought about diversions the Professor might enjoy.

"I brought mine, but it's at number twelve," said Lupin. Tonks grinned at him.

"Well, then, let's go get it."

"What? We can't go get it. Heaven knows what Sirius and Emmeline are doing now that they have the run of the house--except on the kitchen table."

"So? We sneak in and get your chess set. In fact," added Tonks as the idea formed, "we can also grab a bedroll and change of clothes for you. You can sleep in here for the night."

Lupin looked at her as if she'd gone mad. "I can't stay here."

"Why? Afraid of the vicious vorpal bunny?" taunted Tonks with as she used her fingers to mimic Wimples incisors.

Lupin huffed at the thought. "A werewolf cannot be intimidated by a ball of fluff."

"Well you can't be afraid of me," said Tonks. "You're bigger, although I'm probably meaner. And I can assure you that I have no, ahem, peas in the premises."

"You're suggesting we sneak into Order headquarters."

"Yes, in fact, now would be a good time to test the security. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Let me think. We could catch Emmeline and Sirius in the middle of an intimate act and set off alarms that summon every available Order member to witness this."

Tonks nodded, "Yeah, and it would serve them right, wouldn't it?"

"You have a wide streak of mischief, young lady."

"And a professional interest."

"We might discover something to help improve security at number twelve," agreed Lupin.

"It's perfect! We could actually learn something useful on this lark," said Tonks with a nod. Lupin stood up.

"Why am I saying yes?"

Tonks stood, "Because you're still a Marauder at heart. Let's go."

"We can't sneak in dressed like this," said Lupin.

"You're right," said Tonks. She quickly summoned her wand and tapped both their shoulders. Their clothes changed to black clothing complete with black caps. "The charm will only work for thirty minutes. Let's go."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

The two Shadows slipped up the stairs of number twelve, then the taller one tested the front door. The wards were working, but rather than reveal his identity to allow him through, Lupin thought of a counterspell. He hadn't considered the breach in security this posed as the door opened just a slit.

Tonks nodded as he looked at her. They had already learned something of value and would advise setting locks inside the door. The Auror then set the disillusionment charm on them before they slipped into the house. Lupin was carrying the barest faint blue light in his hand. The troll foot umbrella stand seemed to move in front of them, but Lupin lifted Tonks up as he stepped over. He set her down and they made it to either side of the stairs.

"You go first since you know where everything is. I'll follow and keep watch for Kreacher," whispered Tonks.

"Don't worry about Kreacher," said Lupin. "He was hiding in his cupboard as soon as he heard that Emmeline was coming over."

A quick nod affirmed Tonks had heard, so Lupin led the way up to his room. As soon as they got up the steps, they heard the voices emanating from Sirius' bedroom.

"Oh, Sirius!" "Emmeline!" "Sirius!" "Emmeline!"

"Aren't they ever quiet?" muttered Tonks.

"No." Lupin opened the door and slipped into the room.

Tonks stood in the open doorway but cast an illusion spell so that anyone passing would only see a closed door. The Auror had a clear view of the hallway although the spell didn't dampen the sounds from the bedroom. "Oh, oh, oh!" "Yes, yes!" "OH YES!"

Tonks could only pray that Lupin hurried. She looked over her shoulder as he walked to the wardrobe. The illuminated writing on the ceiling of the room provided sufficient light. She whispered, "Hey, the room is still marked."

She referred to the line and letters marking the room as Tonks Territory and Lupin Land.

"I don't know what Sirius did to the spell, but it hasn't faded. I think it's gotten stronger," murmured Lupin as he walked to his wardrobe while Tonks resumed her surveillance.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Professor pulled clothing out of a drawer from the wardrobe and off the hangers. He opened the other side to grab a satchel and stuffed them in. He slung that over his shoulder then reached for the bedroll.

"Catch," called Lupin as he tossed the bedroll to Tonks. She caught it deftly and wondered about using it to muffle the sounds still emanating from the other bedroom.

Lupin just had one last acquisition, but when he reached under the bed to get the small wooden box that contained his chess set, he discovered an intruder in his room. Somehow the house elf had made it past his wards. Kreacher was clutching the box that contained the chess set.

"Kreacher, what are you doing with that? It doesn't belong to the Blacks," hissed Lupin as he dragged the box and the house elf from under the bed.

"The vile creature acts like a human, but Kreacher knows the truth. The wolf that walks on two legs is still a wolf. Wolves don't need such a precious and ancient item."

Lupin was not amused. The Wizard's chess was indeed old, but more than that, it had been his father's favorite pass time. Kreacher's very touch was sullying the set. "Give it to me now."

Tonks heard a scuffling behind her in the room and bit her lip to keep from laughing. Lupin was engaged in a tug of war with Kreacher, who came up to about his knee. Back and forth went the box until the lid flew open and chess pieces scattered to the floor with a rattle. Then several things happened at once.

Four chess pieces, all white Knights, became activated as Lupin called, "Defend your King against the Dark pawn."

Kreacher began jumping around and squealing loudly as the Knights attacked his ankles while Lupin tried to gather the remaining pieces as quickly as possible. But the house elf had set off Mrs. Black's portrait. She began to rail at all and sundry. "BLOOD TRAITORS! SHAPE-SHIFTERS! ABOMINATIONS!..."

Tonks grabbed Kreacher's shoulders and tossed him out of the room toward Sirius' door.

"Wonderful, we've woken Mrs. Black." She heard Lupin's voice behind her, but before she could respond, they both had to muzzle their mouths to muffle their laughter.

Kreacher's hands had slapped the door to Sirius' bedroom. The door opened and, thankfully, the house elf blocked critical bits of Sirius' body from full view of Tonks and Lupin. But a mirror near the door reflected the house elf's face perfectly. The shocked look on Kreacher's face when Sirius opened the door was matched by the one on his master.

"Kreacher!"

The house elf yipped and had the presence of mind to disapparate with a pop while Sirius slammed the door shut. But still, Mrs. Black was ranting: "FORNICATORS! BLOOD TRAITORS! MUGGLE LOVING FILTH!"

"Ready? We need to leave," urged Tonks.

Lupin quickly inspected his precious chess pieces and sighed in relief when found all were intact. He spelled the box securely shut and said, "Let's see if getting out is as easy as getting in."

Tonks freshened their disillusionment charm before they stepped out of the room. Lupin then turned and placed his hand on the door of his bedroom. Tonks could sense the flow of magic at the contact, but soon he was prodding her forward. They were in the middle of descending the steps when they heard Sirius and Emmeline.

"He's coming," murmured Tonks to Lupin. They immediately flattened against the wall.

"...can't do anything with her ranting away like that," huffed Sirius.

"Well then, let's give the old bat something to really scream about." Emmeline's tone had that suggestive challenge that Sirius could not resist. Sirius' laughter was all the signal they needed to understand he agreed.

"Oh, bloody hell, let them at least be dressed," whimpered Tonks as she closed her eyes.

"Just keep your eyes closed; I'll give the all clear," murmured Lupin just moments before Sirius and Emmeline breezed past them.

"...I don't often give a performance, Sirius, so I hope you appreciate what this is costing me."

"I appreciate everything about you, luv. Come on, we haven't tried.."

"Oh, Sirius. And here I thought you'd forgotten my favorite position."

Tonks heard all of this while Mrs. Black's continued ranting in the background. She felt Lupin take her hand and advise, "Don't look, I'll just lead you out."

"Okay, hey, wait," whispered Tonks amid the moans of Sirius and Emmeline now coming from the entry hall. "Why do you get to look?"

"Because I've seen it all before," said Lupin as he tugged her toward the door.

"You're hampering my education, Professor," replied Tonks in a hushed voice. Then as Lupin was turning the latch on the front door, she opened her eyes and peeked over her shoulder. "Oh, my!"

"Get out of there," said Lupin with one last strong tug of her arm.

As the door closed, they could hear Siruis lamenting, "Oh look. Mumsy has closed her curtains..."

Lupin and Tonks made sure the door was firmly shut and reapplied the wards. He again pressed his hand against the door and Tonks could feel a stronger wave of magic securing the door.

"That should help until we get the locks up tomorrow," said Lupin. "Right, I'll nick some from the Auror stores. Ready?"

They disapparated with a pop.

- - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

Once they entered her flat, Lupin and Tonks took a deep breath and let the bedroll and satchel fall to the floor with a thunk. Then they practically fell over each other laughing.

"I don't think I've ever quite had an escapade like this one," said Tonks as she just sank to the floor and sat cross-legged. Their clothes were back to their pre-raid attire.

Lupin followed suit and put the chess box in his lap. "I think I should have left this at Wolf Rock."

"You can keep it here if you like," offered Tonks. She giggled as she thought of Sirius and Emmeline. "You know it's funny, but Emmeline mentioned that, uh, never mind. It was just a position thing."

"Ahem, right," said Lupin. It truly wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. He'd learn to announce his arrival at the flat he and Sirius had shared to prevent stumbling on a variety of interesting positions.

Tonks wasn't sure why she felt like teasing Lupin, but she added, "I suppose it helps if the couple is about the same height."

Lupin was nodding before he realized it. "Well, yes, although if the man is taller he could always wrap--Uh, how about that game of chess?"

"Right," agreed Tonks as she noticed her face was flushing as an image popped into her mind.

They walked to the sofa a bit self-consciously and set up the chess game in silence. The game they played was particularly passionate, however, as if both of them were venting a bit of pent up energy with their moves.

"Checkmate," Lupin finally called.

"I demand a rematch," cried Tonks immediately.

"Some other time. This old man needs some sleep," said Lupin as he stretched.

"The loo's through my bedroom. Just grab one of the pillows from the bed when after you change. I'll clean up from supper."

Lupin merely nodded and grabbed his satchel. As he entered Tonks' bedroom, Wimples snarled at him. The Professor, usually a compassionate man, growled back at the were-rabbit. Wimples went scurrying out the bedroom door to seek his mistress.

Tonks had just washed the dishes when she felt the furry body leaning against her ankles. "Now, Wimples, don't let Remus scare you. He's a lost puppy at heart."

But she gathered the bunny in her arms and pet him for a moment as she thought about her odd day. But then, every day with Remus Lupin had been a unique experience. Had it only been a week?

Lupin walked out of her bedroom dressed for bed his arms holding a pillow. He had the appearance of a rather shy youth as he said, "Thanks for putting up with me and putting me up."

Tonks shrugged a bit diffidently, but then she put her hand lightly on his arm. "That's what friends are for, Remus. Good night."

And as Lupin settled into the bedroll, he didn't notice the hard floor under him. He was too preoccupied with that warm feeling springing from his heart and sending him sweet dreams.

_End of Chapter_

Minor Edits

Author Notes:  
Yipes, it was a long chapter, but rather than posting individual stories, I'm trying to keep this all in one. I hope you got more of Lupin's background and found it wouldn't violate canon. I also incorporated some details for Kingsley's efforts to keep Sirius safe. I thought Tonks would have helped with that. We see Scrimgeour appear and, yes, the silver screening will be relevant to another chapter. There's still some angst to come, but again, there's always a reason for it.

I really enjoyed the image of Lupin's mother that came out of this story. It helps set the tone for Lupin's personality. Will there be some dancing some time? Who doesn't want to see Moody Swing? And, yes, I was counting on there being a resemblance of Lupin and Tonks in his parents. I think I can understand why he'd be drawn to a woman like Tonks after all these years. I'm tired or I'd think of more to say. So, thanks for reading this long chapter. I hope it flowed well enough to maintain your interest.


	7. Seeds

Summary: Remus and Tonks help Emmeline and Sirius deal with the consequences of their nocturnal activities. Fluff, Dark, Fluff

**NYMPH vs WOLF  
Seeds**

_London  
Tonks' Flat_

"Remus."

His breathing remained steady and his body didn't stir at all. Remus Lupin looked quite snug as he lay wrapped in the bedroll on the floor.

"Reemuus." Nymphadora Tonks tried her singsong voice.

"Wumorminitmum." This time he mumbled, turned his head, and buried it further against the pillow.

Tonks watched him for a moment. Yes, his nose really was too long and he definitely was too tall. She followed the line of his body to the end of his lanky legs and smiled. She shrugged, then went to her kitchen to put on some tea and toast. Lupin could probably use as much rest as he could get. It had been a busy week for him, let alone recovering from the effects of the full moon. But after she ate her breakfast and watered her plants, she went back to her guest.

She knelt in front of his pillow and leaned over so that her head would be upside down if he were to open his eyes. He looked so peaceful, but the imp in her made her grin. She scrunched her face and lengthened her tresses. Then she took a lock of her hair and tickled his nose with the tip.

Lupin twitched his nose at the contact, but maintained his slumber. Tonks stifled a giggle and teased his nose again with her hair, then added to the assault by tracing the skin around the scars on his face.

Lupin moved a hand to swipe at the annoyance, but Tonks moved back just in time to avoid being captured. She was patient and held her breath for a moment before initiating her next salvo. This time she wasn't quick enough--or perhaps Lupin was waking up so he had better control of his hands.

Regardless of the reason, Tonks found her hair wrapped around Lupin's hand. The sharp tug made her fall forward and bump his forehead with her chin.

"Ow."

"Huh?" Lupin's eyes fluttered open as he looked up to find pink hair was draping his face. Right, he was sleeping at Tonks' flat, but the situation was completely platonic. No need to panic. He took a deep breath, but then rubbed his forehead. "Tonks? Why did you hit me?"

"I didn't hit you; you yanked on my hair." Tonks sat back, rubbed her chin and immediately shortened her locks.

"Oh, sorry." Lupin stared at the ceiling now that he was awake. "Tonks?"

"Hm?" Tonks was now moving her jaw as if it had been displaced by the impact.

"How did I come to yank your hair?"

"I was tickling your nose," admitted Tonks, although she made it seem like the most reasonable greeting.

"Oh." Lupin blinked twice. It was a rather odd way to wake up a houseguest.

He was about to stretch when Tonks warned, "No! Don't move."

Lupin stopped at mid-stretch. "I thought you wanted me to get up?"

"You have to be careful. Look at your feet," instructed Tonks.

Lupin raised his head just enough to spot a white furry mass upon his ankles. He leaned back with a sigh. "Perfect. My station in life has been reduced to serving as a bolster pillow for a bunny."

Wimples twitched his ear and emitted a little huff. He was sprawled quite comfortably.

"Isn't he sweet? I think he's finally taken a shine to you," cooed Tonks. "Now don't disturb Wimples when you get up."

"I've lost feeling in my feet," murmured Lupin. He twitched a toe to test its movement and grumbled, "Pudgy bunny."

"He's not pudgy! He's just fluffy," admonished Tonks.

Lupin turned to argue with her when he noticed her pajamas had racing brooms all over. He gingerly picked at one of the brooms at the edge of her sleeve. "I used to have a pair like that when I was a boy."

"Yeah, they're not very feminine," said Tonks, "but they're comfortable."

"No one would mistake you for a boy, Nymphadora," murmured Lupin lazily as he used his elbow to prop himself up to look at her. He had realized last night that the Auror really didn't know how charming she was just being Tonks. It was also evident she didn't think of herself as feminine.

"No one would mistake me for a water nymph now," she teased as she wrapped her arms around her knees and absently wiggled her toes. But her soft smile indicated she was fine with that.

They lapsed into silence and shared a quiet moment where they could indulge in a fantasy. Lupin was toying with the idea that this is what it would feel like to share a normal life with a woman. It wasn't like waking up to a lover, but the intimacy of the moment would be a precious memory for him nonetheless. This is how it could be, if only.

Tonks thought that Lupin was like the pool at the base of Wolf Rock, quietly alluring by the sense of peace he offered. For a moment she let herself daydream that he was here because he wanted to be with her rather than the convenience her flat offered. How could she make that a reality? Did she even want that from him? At this moment, she just knew that she didn't want his solid presence to be absent from her life.

"Whhfff." Wimples broke the spell of the moment and their contemplation with his snort.

"D'you suppose he's dreaming bunny dreams?" asked Tonks.

"Let's wake him and find out."

"Gentle," cautioned Tonks as she rose to see to get dressed. Surely the boys would get along without her supervision.

She had no sooner turned her back than Lupin pulled his feet up. The snarl of protest from Wimples was emphatic. Lupin tapped his fingers against the floor. "No, Wimples, we are not going to question who the alpha male is here."

The Professor drew his feet up again, but when Wimples snarled at him, Lupin simply responded with a growl low in his throat. Wimples snarled louder and Lupin simply had to respond in kind.

_Snerf! Growl! Snerrf! Grrrowl!_

"Boys! Boys, settled down," called Tonks as she came back to the fray and knelt beside them.

"He started it," said Lupin as he sat up and pointed to Wimples. The lepine, however, merely turned his large, innocent bunny eyes to his mistress and even twitched his nose in distress.

Tonks picked up Wimples and cooed softly at him while she pet him, but still heard Lupin murmuring, "Faker."

"Don't listen to that mean old wolf, Wimples. He's just jealous because he's all long and lean and not soft and fluffy like you," said Tonks.

"I am not jealous of a were-rabbit," complained Lupin. "Just because he gets pampered--"

Tonks gave in to an impulse and turned to Lupin, rubbed the back of his head and said, "See? You're not being neglected, either."

Actually, the way Tonks was rubbing her fingers into his scalp did feel rather good. Maybe he and the vorpal bunny did have something in common? Lupin muttered, "Merlin, that would feel good on my shoulders."

"Here." That's all Tonks said before Lupin felt her hands go to his neck and begin a nice shoulder rub. "Dad always spends too much time bent over a book. He gets a kink about here."

"Ah," said Lupin. Damn, it felt wonderful to be touched, to have her warmth behind him, to have someone taking care of him. Tonks was too sweet for her own good.

Tonks was smiling to herself. Lesson One from Fleur Delacour: touch the man. His neck was slender like the rest of him and although he was lean, his frame was wiry. She found herself wondering about exploring the rest of his body and blushed. She took a deep breath and brought the contact to an end.

Lupin felt her pat his back twice to indicate the massage was over. That's when he noticed how his heart was racing. He rolled his head and said, "Thank you, that really felt good."

"Well, it will be your turn next," said Tonks with a rather mystic smile. "I need to get dressed and go. Just stash the bedroll in the entry closet."

"I don't intend to impose--"

"It's a favor to me. I think Wimples likes it," said Tonks as she pointed to the were-rabbit. He was again sprawled on top of the bedroll.

"You spoil him, you know that?"

Tonks just shrugged. "He's my pet. Just remember to toss him a veg when you leave. Oh, and you better leave the chess set here because I intend to beat you on our next rematch."

"As you wish," said Lupin.

"It is my wish," confirmed Tonks. She might not be sophisticated; she wasn't one for playing romantic games, but she did realize that she wanted Lupin to have an excuse to come back.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

Lupin entered the old house carefully and sighed with relief when all was quiet. He could put up with Mrs. Black's portrait, he just didn't want to stumble on any more of the cavorting between Emmeline and Sirius. He walked into the kitchen and was surprised by the sight.

Emmeline Vance sat there, fully dressed, but her head was bent as if she were sad. Lupin had never seen her in such a pose. "Emmeline? Are you all right?"

"Yes--no, I--it doesn't matter." Emmeline's voice was quiet and she wouldn't look at Lupin.

The Professor approached her quietly as he felt an alarm rising in him. He asked, "Where's Sirius? He didn't go out--"

"No, he's upstairs and," Emmeline hesitated for a moment. "He'll be sick when he wakes up, but I didn't know what else to do."

Lupin shook his head. "You're not making any sense. Emmeline, what happened?"

By this time Lupin had approached the table and was able to take a seat next to the woman. He was relieved that Sirius had not escaped into the night, but was very disturbed by Emmeline's reactions. But as he sat down, he saw the bruise on her arm His heart lurched as he noted, "You are hurt."

Emmeline finally turned to face Lupin and he caught his breath. There was a distinct bruise across her jaw as if she had been struck. Her voice was merely sad as she said, "You probably just think I like it rough and that Sirius was only obliging."

She turned her face away from him and Lupin could see her raise a hand to wipe away a tear. The whole situation and its implication was so unreal! Lupin was hoping he'd wake up to find he'd dozed off with the vorpal bunny still on his ankles. He had to swallow before he found his voice.

"Emmeline, the Sirius Black I know wouldn't have hurt a woman like this," began Lupin. Emmeline shook her head, but he insisted, "But if Azkaban has changed him, I need to know. Emmeline, we have three women who will be living here for the next two months. Two of them are young, innocent girls. I need to know if they'll be in danger."

Lupin hated what he was saying, but he knew that if the Order had to resort to keeping Sirius truly a prisoner, he had a cell available at Wolf Rock that would serve their purposes. His words to Sirius last night came back to haunt him.

"It's not his fault, Remus. Sirius didn't know who he was hurting." Emmeline took a deep breath and, although she would not look at Lupin, she told her story. "It's as much my fault. I brought some _gloriala_ seeds."

Lupin bit back a groan. The _gloriala_ seeds acted as psychostimulants, with particular effects on sexual function, but they could induce psychosis in someone who was sensitive. "Why?"

Emmeline shrugged. "Sirius isn't the man he used to be, Remus. It bothered him last time when it took a while to, to respond to me, to become aroused. And--and I'd heard that these were a hybrid, didn't have the bad side effects."

Lupin sat back and took a deep breath. Twelve years in Azkaban, the last two on the run. He hadn't considered that Emmeline was the first woman to draw any sexual interest for Sirius. Lupin shook off these thoughts and pursued the details he needed. "When were the seeds ingested? How many? How often?"

"He had one after dinner," said Emmeline with a nod. "Then again around midnight." Emmeline swallowed, so Lupin thought she was finished, until she added, "And another around three this morning."

Lupin sometimes couldn't believe the ignorance of his fellow wizards and witches. Three doses in one night? "He hit you after the third dose?"

"He kept thinking he saw a rat scurrying about. He began shouting, "Come out, come out, Peter!'"

"So you tried to calm him down and that's when it happened?"

"He pushed me away, but he was getting more agitated and Sirius was between me and my wand."

"A stupefy spell wouldn't have helped much," informed Lupin. "But you say he pushed you? You've clearly been struck."

"He accused me of hiding Peter because I kept trying to convince him nothing was there. He grabbed me and kept yelling." Emmeline's voice had grown steadier, but she released a deep sigh. "He kept calling me Bella."

"Bellatrix Lestrange, his cousin and Deatheater and currently in Azkaban."

"I tried to tell him that and he became more--agitated," finished Emmeline. She pushed her hair back from her face before continuing.

"He hit you?"

Emmeline nodded. "But believe it or not, it was a good thing. It's like it broke through the haze and he recognized me," she said quietly. "I got him to drink some fire whiskey with me to counter the seeds, but by then I could get my wand. I used a potency spell on the drink."

Lupin began rising, "You're sure he's just passed out and not--"

"It's not alcohol poisoning. Give me some credit for knowing the limits," said Emmeline testily. "He took about three drinks and passed out. I was too exhausted to leave, but I don't want to see him this morning." She looked down at the bruises on her arm. "I suppose you think I got what I deserved."

"No, Emmeline, I don't, but while I understand your good intentions, Azkaban wasn't good for Sirius. This exposure to the _gloriala_ seeds followed by the potent fire whiskey is not what I would recommend for his well being."

Emmeline just nodded her head. "You're going to tell Dumbledore?"

"I see this as a private issue between you and Sirius at this time," offered Lupin with a sigh. Was he covering up? "I will explain this to the Headmaster if anyone becomes concerned about Sirius." Lupin raked a hand through his hair and offered, "Do you want those bruises healed?"

Emmeline quickly withdrew her hand. "I'll see to them later."

Lupin felt the irony of the situation. She'd accept even violence from Sirius, but she wouldn't tolerate the touch of a lycanthrope even to heal her. It made him appreciate Tonks' attitudes about accepting and offering help. "Then I recommend that you call Tonks. She'll be discreet and she'll know what happened anyway."

"How could she poss--"

"Because I intend to tell her, so Tonks can either hear it from me or from you. It's your choice," interrupted Lupin.

"Why bring her into this? She's rather naive."

"She's an Auror, she's Sirius' closest relative in the Order, and she's my friend, that's why." Lupin had no intention of carrying this burden alone. He'd need someone to watch Sirius when he was away. "Just because Tonks doesn't live your sophisticated lifestyle doesn't mean she won't understand the complexities of the situation. But you're free to ignore my recommendation."

"All right, I'll make up some reason to have her come to my studio," said Emmeline. She took a moment to compose herself, but by the time she rose, Emmeline Vance had recovered her facade of the stately witch. "Take care of Sirius."

"I always do," replied Lupin.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Remus, have some mercy. Just obliterate me now," moaned Sirius when Lupin went up to see to his friend.

"Here, this will help sober you up." But rather than trust Sirius to drink the elixir, Lupin pulled his head back and poured it down the man's throat.

"Ugh! You treacherous wretch--" Siruis suddenly grabbed his abdomen.

"You're the one one wretching at the moment." At this point Lupin dragged the shorter man to his bathroom and held his head over the toilet. "Good, good, get it all out. That should deal with most of the substances in your body."

"You cold-hearted, treacherous brute!" Sirius wiped his mouth and added, "I hope you choke on peas."

"Better than choking on _gloriala_ seeds." Lupin didn't wait for Sirius to try do deny it, he just grabbed him like a ragdoll again and thrust him under a cold spray of water in the shower.

"Damn it, Remus! It's cold!"

"All the better to wake you up. Sober yet?"

"Yes!" Sirius sputtered at the water falling into his mouth, but Lupin was rubbing his head vigorously with a towel. And none too gently. "Stop it, Moony. I am not a pot that needs to be scoured."

Lupin threw the towel at him and said, "But your head is as empty as one. _Gloriala_ seeds, Padfoot? I can't believe you'd be that stupid."

Sirius leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. "It's not like it hurt anyone..."

His voice fell off and he wiped his face. Sirius began shaking his head as images and emotions flooded him. "No, no, I couldn't. I didn't." He began to run out of the room calling, "Where's Emmeline? I've got to see her."

"She's gone, Sirius," said Lupin as he caught up with him and put a restraining arm on his shoulder.

"How bad?"

"She was bruised, but she'll be fine. Tonks will heal her."

"Remus? What have I done?"

Lupin would not have recognized the man weeping in his arms, but it was indeed Sirius Black. The Professor held him closely and put a hand behind his head as Sirius wept. He cast a spell to ease some of the emotional pain as he did so.

"It's all right, Padfoot. You can write to her as soon as you've got a grip on yourself; don't worry. Emmeline doesn't blame you; you both made a mistake." Lupin patted his back gently. He'd had to deal with sobering up his more reckless friend on numerous occasions, but never had Sirius broken down like this. "We've got to make sure you stay sober for a time. No wine, no fire whiskey, no potions, understand? Now I want you to remember those meditation exercises..."

Sirius could only nod. He listened to Lupin's voice and felt relief that Moony was still there for him. He clung to that reality as he faced his inner demons. He did not like the man that he saw.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Tonks knocked on the front door of number twelve and then flinched when she heard Mrs. Black begin her tirade. The door opened and she rushed to help Lupin close the curtains on the portrait, but stumbled as she entered.

Lupin was soon looming over her, but he was smiling as he offered her a hand up. "I genuinely, truly, and sincerely am glad to see you."

Tonks accepted his hand and jumped to her feet. "Is your patient giving you trouble?"

"No, he's been quiet most of the morning and I can tell he was quite disgusted by his actions. I purged his system, reviewed some meditation exercises that should help, and warned him against ingesting any intoxicants," sighed Lupin as he led Tonks to the kitchen.

"That's the advice any Healer would give," assured Tonks.

Lupin's movements were automatic as he doled out some stew and bread for her lunch. "Am I being too lenient on Sirius? Am I covering up for him when I should be rushing off to Dumbledore?"

"If I thought Dumbledore needed all the sordid details, I would have gone to him myself, but I see this as a private matter that we should handle amongst us." Tonks voice held a professional tone as she gave her assessment. She leaned in to assure Lupin, "As for Sirius, he would have still been agitated if the _gloriala_ poisoning had been severe. All records would predict he's safe now. And I wouldn't endanger the Weasleys if I thought otherwise."

"I'm glad to see you concur," replied Lupin. It was nice to have someone he could count on like this. "How did it go with Emmeline?"

Tonks took a sip of the stew and said, "She summoned me on the pretense of a break in. I heard the story, healed her bruises and harped at her until she showed me her bag of _gloriala_ seeds."

"She had more?" asked Lupin incredulously.

"Had is the operative term here. I found a preservation seal that could lead me to the source. I intend to check that out this afternoon since the seeds are only supposed to be sold to Potion Masters. Then I flamed the lot before she could protest and dared her to report the incident." Tonks took another sip of the stew as she heard Lupin's approving laughter.

"That's my Tonks," he said as he lifted his tea cup in salute. He took a drink before asking, "Did you bring the locks for the front door?"

"I did," confirmed Tonks. She pulled out a lock from the inner pocket of her robe, then another two from the the larger pockets before standing up and emptying her trouser pockets of a few more.

Lupin surveyed the array of locks on the kitchen table. He picked one up and inspected it. "Good workmanship. The charms are solid."

"Nicked 'em from the horde of Muggle artifacts. I had to inventory the stores when I was an apprentice, so it was a simple matter to adjust the numbers again. No one believed me when I said they were charmed except for Mad-eye, but he didn't take the time to pursue it with Scrimgeour." Tonks took a big bite of her bread and pointed at the locks. "I can help you install them."

"Install what?" asked Sirius as he entered the kitchen. He had overheard the last statement and was relieved he wasn't the topic of conversation. He looked puzzled when he saw the hardware on the table. Did they intend to lock him in? "Locks? We have a _fidelus_ charm on Order headquarters. Why do we need locks?"

"Because we know that even a _fidelus_ charm can be broken by a traitor. This gives us another line of defense and should help Molly feel secure. We were able to sneak in last night to get my chess set without getting caught." Lupin pushed a small bowl of stew to Sirius as he explained.

"And if we had been traitors, nothing would have stopped us from doing more harm," added Tonks.

"But what if the traitor is someone who gets in and then locks us all inside," asked Sirius as he picked up a lock and fiddled with it. He was happy to discuss anything but what happened last night.

"That's the secret. The locks are charmed to operate for only a select few. You and I are residents, so we need to be able to lock them," explained Lupin. "I think Molly should have access. I recommend we give Tonks the final authorization for using the locks."

Tonks hid her surprise at this. Unlike many of her colleagues at the Auror offices, Lupin didn't seem to denigrate her status in the group. Still, she asked, "Are you sure I won't be a traitor? I am a shape-shifter after all. Some people would put me top of the list of likely traitors."

"You're a half-blood witch who has chosen a career fighting the Dark Arts. You don't curry fame or wealth, although you could with your ability to change form. Moody has had years to screen you with his magic eye and has yet to find you to be anything but 'honestly cheeky,'" said Lupin as he perfectly imitated Moody's voice. "But most telling, I don't think a Death Eater would ever elect to have a corpulant bunny for a pet."

"Wimples is just fuzzy! And did you remember to leave some vegetables for him this morning?" asked Tonks as she continued to eat.

Sirius' head jerked up and he watched the two with growing interest. Lupin had stayed with Tonks?

"I left a carrot by the top hat on your entry. Wimples jumped into it once I tossed him off of the bedroll to put it away."

Tonks punched Lupin's shoulder, "Don't be mean to my bunny!"

Lupin rubbed his shoulder as he assured, "I wasn't mean. Besides, he's too rotund to get tossed. Wimples just sort of rolled like a giant furball off the bedroll. He's almost too round to fit in that hat he likes."

"Who is this Wimples?" asked Sirius.

"He's the vorpal bunny that Tonks adopted," reminded Lupin.

"Oh, yes, the were-rabbit. Another creature subjected to your wonderful bedside manner, Moony," observed Sirius.

"Did he toss you around too?" asked Tonks. Her query was immediately confirmed with a nod.

"Tossed out of bed, choked with a potion, dumped into the loo, and then drowned with cold water."

"Good, because Emmeline sent something for you, too." Tonks approached her cousin and slapped him sharply. "That is from Emmeline."

"Tonks!" Lupin made as if to stand, but Tonks quickly shot him a calculating look. She knew exactly what she was doing.

Sirius was clearly displeased, but the anger only flared in his eyes as Tonks coolly explained, "That was for hitting Emmeline. This is from me."

Tonks slapped her cousin again and Lupin could see the anger growing in Sirius, so he covertly reached for his wand. If the _gloriala_ had left any aftereffects, Tonks' actions would clearly provoke their manifestation.

Lupin noted with relief that Sirius controlled himself so that only his voice conveyed his irritation. "And what was that for?"

"That's for being a git."

"It was the _gloriala_ seeds--"

"Did anyone force you to eat them?" Tonks kept her steady gaze on Sirius and he looked away first.

"No," he sighed and finally glanced back at Tonks. "You take after the Blacks, you know; we all pack quite a wallop. Andi would keep me in line, too, like a bossy big sister."

"Well, now you have a bossy little sister," said Tonks, but her voice was gentler. Then she put a hand on Sirius shoulder and added, "And Emmeline told me to give you one more thing."

Lupin was about to put a stop to anymore slapping, but Tonks merely leaned forward and gave Sirius a soft peck on his unbranded cheek. She was blushing a little bit as she explained, "Emmeline forgives you, Sirius, but she needs time."

For the first time that day, Sirius actually smiled. He patted Tonks hand on his shoulder and said, "And for delivering that message, I thank you. I think I've got the courage to write her that apology now. "

Tonks finally looked up at Lupin as if she expected to contend with him next, but he merely offered her a slight bow. The young Auror had dealt with Sirius in a way he never could have. She had also demonstrated that he would be no threat to the Weasleys; Sirius had control.

The Professor exhaled then said, "Well, if the Black family ritual is over, let's finish lunch so we can see to the locks. I'm sure you're tight on time."

"It's all right, I owled Kingsley that I was pursuing a lead on some contraband. The purchase was anonymous, but I think I can trace down the supplier of the _gloriala_ seeds. Maybe you can help. Do you recognize this preservation seal?" Tonks used her wand to produce the image in the air while they sat to finish their lunch. "I couldn't find record of it in the Auror archives."

"Celtic knot, looks like a five by five, but not I'm not familiar with that variation," said Lupin as he quickly scanned his memory.

Sirius was frowning, but then he pointed to the pattern and said, "I remember where I saw that. Azkaban. There was an inmate there for a few months that they put in the cell across from mine. His name was--Armstrong. Herbert Armstrong. He had a package with that seal on it, but the Dementors were blind to it."

"Not the smartest of criminals, is he?" mused Lupin.

"Armstrong didn't bother hiding it from me since he thought I was completely mad. It does have its advantages," said Sirius with a shrug.

"That would be Herbert Armstrong the Third and son of a Deatheater," murmured Tonks as she recognized the name.

"So you think Armstrong is distributing these as a benign variety of _gloriala_ to upset the general population?" asked Lupin. "The Aurors would be kept quite busy dealing with the fallout and the Deatheaters would never be blamed."

"Armstrong could just be greedy and not give a damn about the consequences," offered Sirius.

"Either way, I need to stop it," said Tonks. She looked at Lupin and cleared her throat before she made her suggestion. "Look, I could take this to Kingsley, but Scrimgeour would quickly nix the idea. He wouldn't think it important enough to pursue. But, if I'm maintaining surveillance on someone who just happens to be in the market for _gloriala_ seeds?"

Lupin sat back in his chair. "Are you suggesting that I serve as a decoy?"

"You fit the profile of a, ahem, typical interested buyer,"said Tonks, although she was looking away and trying not to blush.

"Really? Imagine that." Perfect, thought Lupin. Tonks thought he was deficient in the manly department.

Sirius rolled his eyes at how uncomfortable they both looked. "Oh for Merlin's sake! Just play the distressed lover and go along with it, Moony. You can demonstrate your manly prowess later."

Lupin's head dropped into his hands while Tonks was now a bright pink as she squeaked, "Sirius Black! I do not need Remus to prove anything to me."

"I'll do it with you," mumbled Lupin into his hands. He opened his eyes to find a shocked look on Tonks' face and a smirk on Sirius. What had he said? "I mean I'll serve as decoy. Now let's get the locks installed before I change my mind."

- - - - - - - - - -

_Knockturn Alley_

"Here, this will help me monitor you," said Tonks. She placed a tiger-eye pin onto his lapel while she wore a similar stone as an earring. "It will pick up your conversation while I tail you in disguise."

"Very well," said Lupin. "But I'm sticking with my story of wanting the seeds for research and not for--other reasons."

Tonks pursed her lips and said, "That's what they'd expect you to say, so I won't argue with you. It will explain why you're interested in confirming the hybrid. I'm hoping Armstrong will be curious to meet a man with your credentials. Now, let's start the fun."

Finding someone willing to sell the _gloriala_ seeds wasn't difficult, but it always required a return visit to the vendor. Tonks made a list of all the middlemen that would be visited after she had traced the seeds back to Armstrong. In this, Lupin served as the perfect decoy. With his credentials as a Defense Against the Dark Arts scholar, it was easy to see why he'd want proof that the hybrid seeds would have limited side effects.

Their quest finally led them to Brital's Bones, a shop on Knockturn Alley that specialized in bone products from all sorts of creatures. The normal haggling took place, but then Lupin inserted his request for proof regarding the hybrid seeds. This time rather than being referred to another address at another time, Lupin was asked to wait for a moment. Fifteen minutes later he was being led to a back room.

Tonks had been outside Brital's Bones, but now she used a crowd passing by as a distraction for transforming from the tall, gray-haired woman to the short-blonde curls that made people think she was brainless. Perhaps it was the way she widened her eyes? She began to sort through a stack of chicken bones for divination as she monitored the conversation occurring in the back office.

- - - - - - -

"I'd like to use the seeds for research purposes only, of course, Mister Armstrong," said Lupin smoothly as he stared at the bag of _gloriala_ seeds that Armstrong had placed on the desk.

A man laughed boisterously. "That's the funniest excuse I've heard for needing _gloriala_ seeds from someone who's not a Potions Master."

"I can provide my credentials to you that attest to my standing as a Professor," assured Lupin.

"And I can provide a young woman to be your research assistant if you like," offered Armstrong suggestively. "That will cost you extra, of course."

"I already have a research assistant and I can assure you that my interest is purely professional," insisted Lupin. "But I want proof that they are hybrids. The last thing I want is to lose my mind. What did you use as a cross-species for the _gloriala_ seeds?"

"Well now, that would be a trade secret, see?" Armstrong smiled and steepled his fingers. Lupin seemed quite eager for the seeds. An endorsement from a DADA Professor as to the seeds' harmless nature would be good for business. Lucius Malfoy would be surprised at Armstrong's good business sense. "But I tell you what. Since you want the seeds for only research purposes, I'll give you a deal. I'll let you purchase a bag and throw in the woman just because I like you. Test your performance on her and then you'll know you'll be safe with the real woman you want these for. All you have to do is verify that you were satisfied that these are hybrids."

Lupin was uncertain whether Tonks had shadowed him adequately, so he made a bid for more time. "Tell me about this girl you're offering. I'm rather selective."

Armstrong laughed again. "You have a sense of humor, I see." His eyes raked over the scars on Lupin's face. "Selective? Don't you mean you want to make sure the girl is willing to tend to someone with your--attributes."

Lupin smiled lightly at the observation. "I draw the line at forcing myself upon women, Mister Armstrong."

"Yes, I would expect that, but you don't have to worry. My girls are obedient. So, we have a deal?"

Lupin was uncomfortable with this situation. It was always the intent that once Armstrong was confirmed as the supplier, he would simply say he didn't have the price and walk away. "How much for the _gloriala_ seeds? My funds are limited as you can well imagine."

Armstrong laughed again. "I like you, Lupin. Such manners! Tell you what, you sign this affidavit now and I'll give you the seeds and the girl free of charge. Call it professional courtesy. It's an offer you can't refuse."

Lupin calmly let his wand slip down his sleeve. Armstrong was right; his offer could not be refused if his interest in the seeds were sincere. But to attach his signature to the parchment would be to seal a magical contract. He could deal with rumors of his alleged interest in _gloriala_ seeds, but he could not allow direct evidence to exist.

Lupin took a deep breath, but in the next moment a loud crashing was heard from the shop.

"Oh, how clumsy of me! I am so sorry. I was just looking for--" And here they could hear the woman bawling loudly as she burst into tears. Then they heard her wail, "P-professor Lupin!"

Armstrong looked incredulous while Lupin stood up and wiped his forehead. He was quite sincere when he said, "Oh, dear, this is so embarrassing. I think that's my research assistant."

"You're kidding," said Armstrong as he followed Lupin to the door. He watched as the Professor approached the blubbering blonde who was swinging her arms wildly and disrupting more of the bones so artistically displayed.

"Now, calm down, uh, Bambi. I'm right here," said Lupin as he approached Tonks.

"Professor! Oh, Professor, please, it'll be all right," said Tonks as she clutched his lapels. "I don't care about your little p--problem."

Lupin's eyes widened and he began thinking of reasonable excuses on the spot. "No, Bambi, I'm too old, too poor, too dangerous given my interest in Dark Arts."

"But I don't care about those things! Come with me now and we can try it again and I'll dress up any way you want--"

"Precious, let's not air our dirty laundry in public," admonished Lupin as he put a hand over Tonks mouth. Her eyes were glittering mischievously, so there was no telling what she'd say next.

Armstrong looked at the vacuous blonde hanging onto Lupin's arm. "This your woman?"

"Yes, er, no, I mean--" began Lupin as he tried to think of an appropriate response as he moved the two of them to the exit.

"I would be except for his little problem," said the blonde as she shook off Lupin's hand. Then she turned to Lupin and said with excitement, "We can try chocolate? I bet you'll like that."

Lupin was now trying not to laugh as he opened the door and shoved her outside. "I'm sorry for the disturbance, Mister Armstrong. I can assure you I won't bother you further."

They disapparated before Armstrong realized the bag of _gloriala_ seeds were gone.

"Chocolate?" asked Lupin incredulously when they apparated at a park far from Knockturn Alley.

Tonks, now back to her pink hair and Auror uniform, was fighting a blush. "Well, I saw it in a film once. You know, Muggle moving pictures?"

"Just the thought is making my stomach ache," said Lupin. He pulled out a bag and handed it to Tonks. "I think you might need this."

"Why, Professor, you are a cool one," said Tonks. She had been more concerned with getting Lupin out of a potentially dangerous situation a few moments ago. He had just saved her mission. "Thanks for helping."

"Thanks for taking care of Emmeline--and Sirius," replied Lupin. "Now go play the proper Auror while I see to the Weasley invasion."

Tonks put the bag of seeds into her pocket and gave him a smart salute before she was gone. Lupin stood there for a moment just smiling about one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. But somehow, Tonks' success made it all worth it.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

The table in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place was awash with a sea of redheads. The Weasleys and Hermione Granger had arrived late in the afternoon just as Remus Lupin had returned from his adventure with Tonks. He and Sirius had been so busy getting the crew settled--and making sure Fred and George kept their curiosity in check, that before they knew it, it was dinner time.

Lupin sat amidst the noise of the teenagers with a sense of satisfaction. Sirius was being congenial and had been quite good at predicting the type of mischief that would attract the twins. He was currently listening to Ron rant about the Chudley Canons. Molly and Arthur were treating him as if he were part of the family. Only the girls seemed a bit crestfallen.

Lupin thought about bubble-gum pink hair and what she could bring to this table. And as he completed his thought, Mrs. Black's portrait began its ranting. He and Sirius immediately excused themselves to see to their visitor.

Lupin wasn't surprised when he found Tonks standing at their door with a wide grin on her face.

"Wotcher, Remus, Sirius! Great day, no?"

"I take it the raid was successful?" asked Lupin as he closed the door. Sirius had now reached his side.

"I can confirm that Armstrong is heading back to his old cell at Azkaban and that a certain Auror in your very presence got credit for one of the major contraband arrests of the year." Tonks was practically beaming with pride.

"Good, then I can do this," said Sirius as he pulled her into a hug and rubbed her hair vigorously. He turned to Lupin while he did this and said, "Another Black family ritual."

"Mum always does that," grumbled Tonks when Sirius released her, but her smile was still in place. "Do you think Molly has room for one more?"

"Of course, and I think there are two young ladies who would enjoy your company," said Lupin. The trio entered the kitchen and everyone stopped talking as their eyes turned to a young witch dressed in Auror robes but sporting spikey pink hair.

"I'd like to introduce Nymphadora--"

"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," admonished Tonks, but kept herself from punching his shoulder. That would look far too immature. "It's just Tonks."

"Tonks it is, then," said Lupin.

"Have a seat by Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger," suggested Sirius as he summoned another chair to the table.

And so a routine was born for dinner at Grimmauld Place. The table was always set in expectation for the young Auror who, although clumsy, was still considered quite cool by the young people around her and quite charming by one adult in particular.

- - - - - - - - - -

"I better get home to see to Wimples," said Tonks as she stretched. She had helped wash the dishes when Lupin had volunteered to do them. They had spent time socializing and Tonks had gotten along well with the girls, but now that the dishes were done, it was getting late.

"Let me walk you home," offered Lupin as he put away the last dish. Then he added a bit shyly, "Although, I suppose you just intended to apparate."

"No, well, yeah, I had thought, but, er, I'd like that. To walk home, that is," stuttered Tonks. Then she thought to add, "And the company."

Lupin smiled slightly at her. They stepped out of Grimmaul Place and waited for a moment. Both of their faces turned up to the sky.

"No rain," said Tonks. "It's a perfectly beautiful night, too."

"Yes, it is," agreed Lupin readily. They walked together into that perfectly beautiful night where the seed of an idea was growing: belonging.

_End of Chapter  
_

Minor edits.

Author Notes:  
This was intended as a different story when I first began it, but once Lupin got back to Grimmauld Place, Emmeline's revelations seemed to spill out and so the story took a different turn. The contrast between the innocent exchange between Tonks and Lupin and the violent one between Sirius and Emmeline drove the early part of the story. But it should also illustrate how Lupin gets to see Tonks in her professional role.

The _gloriala_ seeds are not canon and do serve as a metaphor for drugs abused by humans. On the other hand, I really couldn't commit complete character assassination on Sirius. I did want to illustrate some of his recklessness and darker nature, but not without showing remorse for his actions. Also, I didn't want to make him someone who would abuse women of his own volition. That would make for a darker storyline than I care to write. Furthermore, it was important that Sirius offer some help in catching the supplier as a way of redeeming himself and preventing the same thing happening to someone else.

The tiger eye pin and earring are not canon nor is the shop in Knocturn Alley called Brital's Bones.

There were two references to David Thewlis movies. First, the name Herbert Armstrong comes from the movie Dandelion Dead where DT's character was poisoned by Herbert Armstrong. Second was a reference to the intimate use of chocolate from the movie Life is Sweet.

Thanks for reading. I hope you found that I treated the characters with some compassion. And I hope that I'm still demonstrating the small steps Lupin and Tonks are making in finding each other.


	8. Checkmate

Summary: A brief interlude between Remus and Tonks during a game of Wizard's chess. Fluff.

**Nymph vs Wolf**  
_**Checkmate**_

_Grimmauld Place_

It was early evening on a soft summer night as the moon shone over number twelve Grimmauld Place. Sirius Black, the heir of the Noble house of Black, was with Buckbeak in his mother's old tower room as had been his habit for the past few days. Thankfully, there had been no signs of ill effects from the _gloriala_ seeds, but Sirius didn't want to expose the Weasleys, especially the young ladies in the house, to any aberrant behavior.

Fred and George were also holed up in their room because they preferred working on their latest creation in private--and out of view of their mother. Unbeknown to the adults, the twins had stumbled over a very peculiar magnifying glass and were testing its properties. But that's for another story.

The rest of the company at number twelve could be found in the drawing room. Arthur was getting trounced quite severely at Wizard's chess by his youngest son. Although Ron kept his demeanor respectful to his father, one could easily discern his glee. He kept shooting glances at Hermione to see if she was taking note of his success, but the young lady was determined to ignore him after he made a derogatory comment about SPEW. Hermione, like Ginny, gave her full attention to Molly and her knitting lessons.

Remus Lupin sat in his armchair pretending to be absorbed in a book. In reality the Professor was covertly watching Molly trying to teach a certain young lady how to knit. Luckily the tome served a dual purpose. a shield.

_Twang! Thunk!_

The knitting needle hit the cover of his book. Ginny and Hermione stifled a giggle, Molly rolled her eyes in exasperation, and the culprit merely tottered over on her knees.

"Sorry, Remus, the needle just slipped out of control," said Nymphadora Tonks with a sheepish grin.

Lupin leaned forward and murmured, "Are you sure you didn't take aim and fire? You were dead on target."

"That's me, I can turn anything into a weapon. Serves me well in my chosen profession, actually," replied Tonks. She leaned forward and flashed her eyebrows. "Get the point?"

"And the punishment," said Lupin quietly. He deliberately brought his book up to shield himself from further puns, but he could hear her soft chuckle as she left.

Lupin managed to watch as Tonks scampered back to Molly and the girls. He listened while Molly and Tonks spoke.

"Just keep your attention focused on the spell, dear, you'll get it," assured Molly. She was thankful that Lupin was such a forgiving, mild-mannered gentleman. It wouldn't have served Molly's agenda to have Tonks running out of the house in tears.

"You're very patient, Molly. My own Mum banished me from knitting needles after I kept cracking her flower pots with them," confessed Tonks.

The Auror then threw a glance at Lupin to find that he was shaking his head at her from behind his book, but it didn't keep her from clearly mouthing, "Crack pot," at him. She could see Lupin lightly tapping his forehead against the book. She smiled, then turned her back to him so she wouldn't be tempted to taunt him further. Or to shoot another needle his way.

Molly was unaware of the covert communication between Lupin and Tonks. She gave some more suggestions about knitting, then casually asked, "You've spent a lot of your evenings with us, Tonks. I'd hate to think you're depriving a young beau of your company on our account."

Tonks had her attention focused on her task, so she answered absently, "Me? I haven't been on a date in over four years."

"Oh, well, perhaps things will change," offered Molly.

"Yeah, change is good. I like change. Oh, look, I've knitted a whole row!"

"Good job, dear." Molly now tried to nonchalantly insert, "I'm so glad that Bill's in London now. Perhaps you could show him around?"

The Auror was intent on repeating her success with the knitting needles so she missed the undertone as she responded, "Bill knows London well enough to show Fleur Delacour the sights. I think he'll manage."

Lupin, who had been listening to this exchange with an oddly beating heart, almost didn't take defensive action in time.

_Twang! Thunk!_

"Oops." Tonks once again waddled to his side. Again they kept their conversation quiet. "I don't know how that happened, Remus. I swear I'm just trying to knit a little jumper for Wimples."

"Wimples doesn't need a jumper, he's got fur," observed Lupin as he peered at his book cover that now had a noticeable dent on the cover.

"It's decorative."

"He's a were-rabbit, not a Christmas tree. Leave him a little dignity," said Lupin mildly. "On second thought, this is Wimples."

"Wimples is a noble pet! Why he's, he's--" Tonks realized that she had a lost cause. Dignified was the last term she'd use to describe her vorpal bunny. "Fluffy."

"My point exactly," muttered Lupin as he lifted his book again. Tonks was about to turn away when he added, "Can you imagine the static cling? He'll look like a chia pet."

Tonks burst out laughing at the image of the were-rabbit with his hair standing stiffly on end. Molly and the girls looked over at the two, but Tonks just continued to make her way back to the women. She knew that although he wasn't laughing out loud, Lupin would have that half-smile on his face that had become so familiar to her.

She renewed her knitting efforts with fervor, but silently added a barrier around her so that she would not impale the innocent. Lupin, on the other hand, had to continue to fend for himself.

_Twang! Thunk!_

"I think you're finding your rhythm," murmured Lupin.

"But not my needle." Tonks was rummaging below his chair as she looked for the projectile. Then she felt the light tap on her head. She didn't realize how close she'd come to having her rump swatted instead. Luckily given their present company, the gentleman in Lupin had prevailed over the Marauder.

Lupin extended the needle to her, so she happily went her way to resume her task. One would think she was fully absorbed in her lesson, but Tonks knew the moment that Lupin left the room. There was something she wanted from him, and tonight, she fully intended to get it.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Lupin walked down the stairs to the kitchen to make a cup of tea when he felt his shoulders being grabbed.

"Hold on, Professor. You're coming with me." Tonks was a couple of steps above him so that her head was just at his shoulder. Her voice was right at his ear as she leaned in to give her directive.

"Is this an arrest?"

"More like a kidnapping actually," said Tonks as she grabbed his arm and pulled him back up the stairs. "We have the rest of the night ahead of us and my flat is just a moment away if we apparate."

"Rather impatient, are we?"

"You know what I want, Remus." Her eyes were bright as she looked into his and her smile was inviting.

Yes, Lupin understood exactly what was on her mind. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Try me," she taunted.

"I fully intend to."

- - - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

They apparated just outside her flat and Tonks practically pranced up the stairs in her glee. She flung open her door and said, "You get things set up in here, I need to get comfortable."

"Comfortable?" asked Lupin, but Tonks was already closing the door to her bedroom.

_Snerf, snerf._

He heard the snarl directed his way from the vicinity of the sofa, but merely grinned at the creature. "And hello to you, too, Wimples. Wait until you see your Christmas present this year."

Wimples twitched his nose at Lupin rather suspiciously, but did not snarl further. Obviously the were-rabbit found the grinning werewolf to be a bit offputting. For his part, Lupin was satisfied that he had established the social hierarchy for the evening.

In anticipation of what was to come, Lupin took off his suitcoat and removed his tie. The throat to his shirt was open, his sleeves were rolled up and off came the shoes. The Professor sat on the sofa just as the bedroom door opened.

Tonks was wearing a short-sleeved peasant blouse with a scooped neck and black capris. There was something inviting about the gauzy white material, but Lupin was determined not to let his thoughts wander.

"You might as well surrender now, Remus. This is my lucky shirt," said Tonks as she walked toward him in her bare feet.

"Lucky shirt?" asked Lupin.

"I've never lost a match when I wear it," said Tonks brightly. "I beat Flitwick, Moody, and even Snape once."

"How did you get into a chess match with Severus?" asked Lupin with great curiosity.

"Chess tournament three years ago at the Leaky Cauldron. That's where I beat all of them."

"Then I shall be particularly vigilant. Let me set up the board. I'll be black tonight."

Tonks nodded her agreement, so Lupin began to set out the game of Wizard's chess on the coffee table while she sat on the floor across from him.

Wimples hopped over to supervise the Professor at his task and flicked one ear back as he reviewed the chessboard. The bunny moved a paw forward to test a black pawn, but leaped back when the piece drew its two swords.

"Don't harass my bunny, you big bully," admonished Tonks as she tapped the shell of the pawn. It snapped shut to resume its covert stance while she consoled her pet.

"You move first." Lupin studied her face while she made her decision, but when Tonks leaned over the board, he got an entirely new appreciation for the peasant blouse. Because of his height advantage, it required no effort to see a bit of cleavage. Creamy skin, smooth curves, just the lightest taunting color.

Tonks called her first move as Wimples assumed his position. He had his paws on the edge of the coffee table as if to get a good view of the pieces.

"Remus? Aren't you going to move?"

Tonks' voice didn't bring him out of his reverie, but Wimples' snort did. Lupin cleared his throat, prayed that Tonks hadn't noticed he was ogling her, and tried to focus on the board.

"I'm not given to hasty decisions," said Lupin in defense.

Lupin made a chivalrous attempt to avert his eyes as the match continued. This was Tonks, his colleague, his friend. His brain, however, had long been deprived of such a view and really appreciated the opportunity to refresh its memory. And in the back of his mind was the thought that Snape had been in the same situation. He was her teacher, for Merlin's sake! For some reason that made him even more disgruntled.

"Ha! I think I've got you," cried Tonks, but refused to look his way.

She was telling herself to only focus on the game. She had analyzed their first match against each other and came to a rather shocking conclusion. She had been too distracted by peeping at Lupin during their first game.

It wasn't that she thought the Professor was a Greek God, but her eyes kept tracing the faint scars on his forearms since he had rolled up his sleeves. Her eyes also kept returning to follow the line of his throat beneath the unbuttoned shirt. She had even found herself absorbed with the material draping his long body. Even now she found herself absently considering that Lupin's long legs were actually quite nice.

Then they were both distracted for a time by Wimples antics. He became fascinated with the chess pieces, although his attention was given only to the black. The bunny first became intrigued with a black rook. The little man in the tower kept raising his fist at the vorpal bunny every time the lepine would cause the tower to totter with his paw. The were-rabbit would then dart around the board to get to the other black rook to repeat the maneuver.

"You'd think all that zipping about would make him dizzy," declared Lupin.

"It's part of his training as a sentinel, keeps him on his toes," explained Tonks as she arched her back and pulled her arms back in a stretch.

That did it. Lupin made up his mind to act before he lost his mind. "I think I need to adjust my view and my strategy."

Lupin pushed the table forward a little as he moved to sit on the floor. He propped his back against the sofa and smiled in satisfaction. The adjustment took care of most of his peeping problem and made him feel less like a lecher. The match went in his favor for the next few moves even with Wimples' antics, although Lupin had to adjust his strategy when the rook refused to move into place where the bunny could freely harass him.

Tonks frowned at the turn of events. She needed to regain her advantage. She muttered, "I think I need a new perspective, too."

Before Lupin understood her intentions, Tonks tossed herself lengthwise on the sofa with her head peering over Lupin's shoulder. In fact, she propped her chin on him. He felt her warmth at his back and could smell the light perfume she wore quite easily.

Lupin quirked an eyebrow and gave her a sideward glance. "Nymphadora, why do I feel as if I've grown a second head?"

"Shush, I'm thinking," Tonks admonished.

Actually, the position was very distracting for her, too. She was very much aware of his body and had to fight the impulse to bury her face in his neck. But then the imp in her realized that this was a good opportunity for some innocent touching. She was a rather clumsy witch, wasn't she? She nudged her cheek against his neck and immediately said, "Uh, sorry."

She moved her head away so that he wouldn't hear her sigh. Lupin smelled very nice...Discipline! Constant vigilance! She could almost hear Moody chiding her for her behavior. Right, she had a match to win.

Tonks reached around his shoulder to point to her king as she called her move. She let her arm fall across his back, then squeezed gently and said, "Your move, Professor."

Lupin released his breath when Tonks moved away from him for a moment. He tried to focus on his next move and rein in his imagination. There was no denying that he had enjoyed her brief contact. What he wanted to do was reach back and take that warm body into his arms. What he actually did was make another bad move on the chess board.

Luckily for him, Tonks seemed to be making decisions just as poorly. The Professor knew that he could complain, but any time he made up his mind to ask her to move, his body refused to comply. He found the were-rabbit far more bothersome.

Wimples was now interested in a black pawn. He flicked his ears forward quickly to tap their shells. The swords would come out, but by that time he was darting around the table again to harass the other side. His ultimate move was to taunt the black knights. He'd slip a paw forward and move it back when the knight tried to trample him with his horse. And every maneuver would be cheered by the white queen.

Tonks could have put a stop to it, but the witch refused to abandon her perch behind Lupin, although she did tell her queen to behave appropriate to her station. Her vantage point meant she could peek down his shirt just a bit, which was again unbuttoned at the throat. But rather than be repulsed by the signs of scarring, Tonks began to wonder about their extent. She told herself it was just professional curiosity, just before she made another bad move.

Lupin managed to take advantage of her poor move, but that was his last glimmer of hope for victory before the personal assault by the vorpal bunny began. Wimples, having found chess rather tiring, the game pieces rather violent and not at all edible, had lost all energy. He settled into a comfortable position by flopping across Lupin's ankle.

"Shove off," murmured Lupin as Wimples once again decided to use his ankle as a pillow for his belly. He twitched his foot, but the vorpal bunny only rolled over to his other side.

"Checkmate!" called Tonks as she called for her knight to move.

Lupin was not surprised she had won the match. His glance flicked to the were-rabbit who suddenly decided it was a good time to perk up and clean his face. Wimples was completely innocent of trying to disrupt the game, of course.

The Professor was about to enter his complaint when, to add insult to injury, Tonks rose to do a little victory jig.

"I won, uh huh, I won..." She waved her hands over her head just like she had when Lupin had first thought her a water nymph. The exposed belly button, shimmying hips, and the bouncing perky bits of the jubilant witch managed to divert Lupin's attention from his loss to his libido. Yet, it was her spontaneity that brought a smile to his lips. His complaints vanished to be replaced by another thought: Perhaps he should lose more often?

Tonks was really getting into her victory dance before she realized how immature she must appear to Lupin. She dropped her hands, opened her eyes, and cleared her throat. "I guess this isn't very sporting of me?"

Lupin made sure his face held its normal composure by the time Tonks finished her celebration. He gave her his best scholarly mask and said, "Your display was a bit exuberant."

"Yeah," agreed Tonks as she rubbed one bare toe against another. "How about I offer you a consolation prize?"

"What did you have in mind?" asked Lupin. Oh, he wished he didn't have such a rich imagination! For a moment his mind created an image where Tonks would actually lean into him and--

"Here," she said as she handed him an apple. "I, uh, I noticed you like apples."

Tonks made her offer shyly and hoped she hadn't misjudged his preferences. Lupin was actually quite a finicky eater, but her meals with the Weasleys at Grimmauld Place had revealed that the Professor really enjoyed apples. She had bought a whole bagful and had even deprived her precious pet from access.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," confirmed Lupin.

Tonks smiled in relief, the began scolding her pet. "No, Wimples, you can't have the apple."

The vorpal bunny was trying with all his might to leap up to her hand, but gravity refused to comply. The furball made his ears droop while he gave her a wide-eyed plea as his body shivered in deprivation--or deceit.

"Oh, he's good. You'd think he hadn't been fed for days," observed Lupin as he rose to accept the apple from her. So, Tonks would actually deprive her spoiled pet to indulge his whims? The Professor felt quite special.

Lupin smirked down at the vorpal bunny who snarled with bared teeth in reply. Then the furball seemed to swish his tail in disgust at the turn of events and loped off into his top hat to sulk.

"Wimples is just sensitive," explained Tonks patiently, but she punched Lupin's shoulder lightly.

"He's a charlatan in bunny's clothing," said Lupin, "but I think I need to get back to number twelve rather than argue the point."

"Just owl me if you need any help tomorrow. I'll be off and the only thing on my agenda before guard duty is doing my laundry."

She said the last with a real grimace while Lupin tossed the apple deftly and caught it with one hand. He tucked it into his pocket and said, "I'll keep that in mind." Then just to be a tad annoying, he said, "Good night, Nymphadora," and disapparated before she could chastise him.

Tonks just shook her head in exasperation before closing her door. She walked to the top hat and pulled out a sulking Wimples. She carried the bunny with her to the kitchen. "At least you'll obey me, won't you Wimples?"

Wimples leaned out of her hands to try to get to the bag of apples on the kitchen counter. "No, Wimples, those are for Remus, you silly bunny. Here, have a nice radish. Don't give me that face. I know you love to nibble their innards."

Tonks watched the lepine attack the radish with gusto and smiled. But it wasn't the sight of her pet wrestling with the vegetable that was the source of her contentment. It was the warm feeling that being with Lupin had left in her. For a moment she let herself wonder what he would have done if she had leaned in and kissed him as a consolation tonight.

"No, none of that," she told herself. "Remus would die of embarrassment if I snogged him. Hell, I'd die of embarrassment if I snogged him."

But in the back of her mind, she was beginning to think it would be a wonderful way to die.

- - - - - - - - - - -

When Lupin got back to number twelve, he set the apple in a bowl in the drawing room. He'd often read there and it would be easy to find. He touched the apple lightly, but thought about the pink-haired woman instead. Valkyrie, water nymph, friend. He bit back a groan at the thought of her being the apple of his eye. "Nymphadora Tonks, I've been around you far too much."

But try as he might, he found he lacked the energy to truly distance himself from her. And in truth, the warm friendship she offered him was a rare gift. As long as he kept his perspective, he could afford to nurture this relationship. She'd find a young man soon enough and not have time for him.

Or this new war would be the end of him and the end of his curse. Lupin smiled as he wondered what words Sirius would have to say for him in eulogy. If death was waiting for him around the corner, why not allow himself a harmless fantasy? It was nice to feel like a normal man for once, a man who was wondering what it would feel like to kiss Nymphadora Tonks.

And in his dreams, he did.

_End of Chapter_

Minor Edits

Author Note:  
Just a short, fluffy interlude after the darker chapter previously. I had considered starting this as a new story, but decided to simply add on to keep this characterization in one string. So, I've adjusted the ending in Ch 7 and give you Ch 8. I hope to be able to do this in about 15 chapters. I do want to span the fifth year.

I don't have much time this week or next, so it will be about 10 days between postings unless I get some time. In response to a question about illustrating the stories. I have no talent for drawing and no one with such talent has been inspired to render the scenes, so I reckon they'll just have to stay in our minds. But if anyone wants to dabble in a scene based on any work I've done, please let me know where I can see it.

I don't think there's anything I have to explain in this story. You've gotten to know Wimples by now and yes, I do think Tonks and Lupin are both a bit innocent in sexual experience. Their own issues with self-esteem prevent them from realizing their growing infatuation is mutual. But that's fine, because it gives them more time to learn to love each other.

Thanks for reading. I appreciate the nice comments that folks have left.


	9. Food for Thought

Summary: Remus and Tonks help Molly, her twins, and Moody shop at a Muggle supermarket.

**Nymph vs Wolf**  
_**Food for Thought**_

_Grimmauld Place_

"I think we underestimated the consumption of food by adolescent wizards." Remus Lupin scratched his head in wonder. "Did we eat this much as boys?"

Sirius Black offered an alternative explanation. "Locusts! That's got to be it. Molly actually spawned locusts who merely resemble boys."

"What's that about my boys?" asked Molly as she entered the kitchen and ambled toward the cupboard. It took her a moment to register that it was completely empty. "Eeeeiiiii!!!"

Sirius clutched his head since Molly had screamed in his ear. Lupin immediately put his hand on her shoulder and led her away from his beleaguered friend. "Molly, calm down. It's just a minor crisis. We can--"

At that moment, the tremors on the stairway alerted them to the stampeding Horde that soon arrived in the kitchen. Hermione Granger's brown hair was flying wildly as she led the pack of Weasleys behind her crying, "I found it first, it's mine!"

In her hand was the last morsel of food in the house: a shiny red apple. Ginny was blocking her brothers' progress, having entered a silent agreement that the apple would be shared. Hermione glanced at the adults in the kitchen and made a quick assessment of the one most likely to be able to protect her.

Who would have the most power? A DADA professor, a fugitive from Azkaban, or the Mother of the Horde? Hermione darted quickly behind Molly. "Help me!"

Molly didn't even lift her wand or her voice before all the teens were immobilized. What Hermione failed to realize was that the apple in her hand was actually Lupin's and he had stopped the Horde in its tracks. He glanced at the fruit longingly, but kept his peace.

"I think that we should divide the apple while we decide the best way to resolve this food shortage," said Lupin. The apple was immediately cut into six slices with a flick of his wand.

"Remus, we are completely out of food. If we were at the Burrow, I'd have my garden at least, but here, I don't have anything!" Molly was wringing her hands in despair.

Only Sirius noticed Kreacher slinking away. He would later determine that the house elf had been very successful at maintaining the illusion that their food supply was not dwindling until this morning. At the moment, he was too busy ingesting his breakfast.

"Molly, please, just give me a minute," said Lupin as a plan flashed through his mind. "I think I know what we need to do, but I'll need to owl Dumbledore first."

"What's the solution, Professor?" asked Sirius as he quickly swallowed his morsel.

"We need to go shopping."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

Tonks was ready to do battle. She first attacked the small washer dryer in her flat by filling it with laundry. She poked at the clothes hesitantly as if she expected them to leap out. She was finally satisfied that the washer would not fight back. It had a knack for rumbling and shaking when she used it, but she was a failure at laundry spells. Satisfied at the lethargy of her laundry, she then tossed some detergent on top and quickly closed the door with an apprehensive look on her face.

Wimples watched these antics as he creeped stealthily to get to the apples now sitting in a bowl on the kitchen counter. The vorpal bunny attempted a mighty leap, but instead his paws landed short of his goal and scratched at the cabinet.

"Wimples! No, you can't have the apples; they're for Remus, remember?" called Tonks. She heard the knock on her door before she could chastise her pet further.

To her surprise she found the Professor at her doorstep with a desperate look on his face. Even Wimples forgot to snarl.

"Remus? What's wrong? Has someone been hurt?" Tonks opened the door and beckoned him inside.

Lupin slumped onto a kitchen stool and said disconsolately, "They ate my apple."

He looked like a sulking little boy and his voice was so quiet that Tonks asked, "What? The apple?"

"Yes, the apple, consumed by the ravenous Horde," sighed Lupin.

Tonks clucked her tongue and put her arm around Lupin's shoulders. She had to offer him some sympathy, didn't she? "The Weasley boys ate your apple?"

"And Ginny and Hermione," added Lupin. Her arm around him eased his mood. It was nice to have friends. Lupin blinked. "Wait! I think Sirius nicked a piece, too."

Wimples wobbled his ears at the news while Tonks held her laughter. She reached into the bowl and offered the fruit, "I didn't realize apples were so popular. Here, free replacement and I don't even have to beat you at chess."

Lupin took a bite of the apple and moaned in satisfaction. "Actually, it was the last piece of food in the house. We grossly underestimated what it would take to feed the lot."

Tonks merely rubbed his back as he indulged in a few more bites of the crunchy apple. She wasn't surprised at the turn of events. Both Sirius and Lupin exhibited spare appetites, although for different reasons. Twelve years in Azkaban was not conducive to maintaining a palate. Likewise, Lupin was accustomed to light meals given his meager funds.

"I bet Molly's in a tizzy. So, what's the plan for replenishing the supplies?" asked Tonks.

"Sainsbury's," replied Lupin with a nod while Tonks casually grabbed the apple from his hand and took a bite. "We need to go shopping at the Muggle supermarket."

"That's a good idea," agreed Tonks as she slipped the apple back into his hand. "Deatheaters wouldn't think to look for us at Sainsbury's. "

"But we do know they're monitoring the magical markets for signs that we've re-established headquarters. That's why we went to Sainsbury's for the first set of supplies. This time we'll need more personnel, though."

The Professor lifted the apple for another bite, but noticed a distinct indentation. He stared at it and asked, "You haven't been letting Wimples nibble on my apples, have you?"

"Nonsense, I can control Wimples," asserted Tonks, only to have the vorpal bunny decide it was time to antagonize Lupin.

_Snerf, snerf, snerf._ Wimples seemed devoted to snarling at the Professor.

Tonks retrieved her pet and tossed him into his top hat, but then a cascade of foaming bubbles began issuing from the washing machine.

"Oops! Uh, don't worry, I can handle it," said Tonks with mock confidence. "Er, _bubble, bubble, please don't double_..."

Wimples poked his head just over the rim of the top hat to note Tonks waving her wand frantically. His nemesis, the Werewolf, continued to munch on the perfectly crunchy apple. The were-rabbit made his escape and scampered back to snarl at Lupin.

_Snerf, snerf, snerf._

The Professor was absently waving his wand to help Tonks between taking bites of his apple while pointedly ignoring the feral furball Wimples was thus inspired to hop energetically around the Professor's feet. His strategy was inscrutable given the random changes in position, however.

Suddenly, the bunny stopped and twitched his ears. He hurried toward the window and skid to a stop.

_Tap, tap. Click, click, click._

Tonks looked up when she heard Wimples' paws clicking against the window pane and saw the owl requesting entry with its taps. She opened her window and the owl, chased the entire way by her pet, darted to Lupin.

Lupin quickly unrolled the scroll, but tossed the generous core of the apple down at Wimples who ran off with it.

"Our mission has been approved," said Lupin.

"Why are you frowning then?" asked Tonks.

"Bill can't deliver the Muggle money, so it's being sent by a special courier."

"And?"

"It's Alastor Moody."

Tonks patted his back. "We'll just divert Mad-eye away from any vending machines and to the vegetables. How hard could that be?"

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Sainsbury's: The Entrance_

An odd group of people stood outside of Sainsbury's Supermarket. The three redheads were obviously a mother with her sons, but the knitted vest she wore was quite out of fashion. One could also clearly see the knitting needles protruding from her knitted handbag.

Then there was the old woman with the gray curls who would fit with the regular customers, but her bright eyes conveyed a sense of youth that seemed out of place. She wore a fluffy pink cardigan strewn with several pins over black trousers and white Oxford shirt. One of her pins was fashioned out of wood to resemble a sword.

She stood beside a tall, lean gentleman with greying hair and a scarred face. The middle-aged man was dressed in a brown cardigan more befitting someone's grandfather, but he was clearly younger than the woman. The slight lump where his wand was tucked in an innner pocket was not discernible.

The strangest was the old man with a bowler hat cocked over one eye and carrying a rather tall walking stick. He somehow managed to make people feel a bit uncomfortable, as if he could penetrate their very thoughts. Thus, many potential customers walked by as they decided to see to other errands before doing their grocery shopping.

And if the regulars at Sainsbury's had been able to penetrate a muffling charm, they would have found the discussion as odd as their appearance.

"I don't want a single toe out of step, do the two of you understand me?" hissed Molly Weasley as she ended her tirade at her twins. Given the amount of groceries they intended to purchase, Fred and George had been drafted to serve in the current mission since they were now seventeen.

"Mum, you're breaking our hearts by these accusations," intoned George.

"And here all we ask for is a little bit of motherly faith in her sons," sighed Fred regretfully.

"Oh, I have plenty of faith, all right, faith that you'll get into mischief," said Molly. "Remember, these Muggles are, are, well, Muggles!"

Molly walked away from her sons and to the nearest door. She tugged to no avail before she noticed the sign that clearly read: Exit. She blushed, but covered her mistake by abruptly turning to her twins again. She thrust a list into their hands. "And only get what's on the list."

"Molly, don't worry about the boys." Tonks heard a cough and an assertion of "men" from the direction of the twins. "They'll be too busy filling their trollleys."

"Trolleys?" asked Molly with suspicion.

"Just like the luggage trolleys at the Hogwarts Express, except with deep baskets. We'll each need one," explained Lupin as he led her in the door correct door and pulled one out for her.

"Wicked! This is gonna be more fun than we thought," said George as he grabbed a trolley, put one foot on the bottom rail and kicked off.

"Bu--"

Molly was speaking to a receding back because George had to hurry to catch up with his twin. Fred had popped a wheelie before veering out of sight ahead of him.

Lupin could hear Molly pleading to Tonks, "Are you sure you couldn't use _imperio_ on them just this once?"

Tonks responded by pulling out the wooden pin on her cardigan and closing her eyes as her lips moved in a quiet chant. "_Auarca gluten_."

She turned to the others with a nod. "Don't worry, Molly, they literally can't step one toe out of line. I put a gumshoe spell on their trainers earlier in case this happened and now they're immobilized. I'll release them when we catch up."

The Auror pinned her transformed wand deftly onto her cardigan again. She grabbed her trolley and pulled on Molly's to lead the way.

Lupin turned to Moody just in time to find him inspecting a plexiglass sphere full of smaller, glossy, bright green spheres.

"What's this? How did Muggles get eyeballs from cave demons?" He poked a finger into the delivery slot.

"Those are gumballs, Alastor, like the one's at Honeydukes except the bubbles you can blow are smaller."

"Hm." Moody accepted the trolley that Lupin extended, but turned his head suspiciously as if expecting all the gumballs to orient to his movement. "Let's adopt a serpentine path, just to be safe. Constant vigilance!"

Lupin took a deep breath. This was going to be a long morning. He took Tonks aside when they caught up with the twins to confer. They began simultaneously.

"I think I need to--" "--keep and eye on--" "Moody." "Molly."

They fell silent, turned to look at their charges, then faced each other again. Tonks spoke first this time. "What about the twins?"

"I think they just need a bit of encouragement. Give me a moment," said Lupin. He walked to the boys who were still stuck to the floor. He leaned in to quietly say, "Fred, George, we're all men here, so I just want to say one thing. If you are not on your best behavior today, you'll keep me company during the next full moon."

The twins looked at Lupin's affable smile, then at each other and nodded. While they could rationalize that the Wolfsbane would keep Lupin sane, Ron's description of the Werewolf was not one they wanted to witness first hand.

Lupin turned to Tonks and signaled for her to release the gumshoe spell. The company now heard the Professor say, "We're going to trust you to get the items on your list without supervision. Don't disappoint us."

"We're just here to help our dear Mum," asserted George, "and we've been to Muggle shops before so we know what to do."

"You can count on us to execute our duties with utmost care," assured Fred with a hand over his heart and a gallant bow toward his mother.

Molly's suspicions were somewhat assuaged, but time was wasting. She just shook her finger at them one last time.

"Tonks will stay with Molly while Moody and I follow closely. We'll meet at the checkout in thirty minutes where we'll pass out the Muggle currency for payment."

"Let's go foraging," said Tonks. She pushed her trolley beside Molly while the twins went in the opposite direction. The mission had begun.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Sainsbury's: Pasta & Rice_

Fred and George walked along the rows with decreasing confidence. "The list says we need rice."

"But what kind? I see basmati, thai, jasmine, long-grain..."

"You blokes need some help?" asked a melodic feminine voice. The pretty brunette was a picture of youth and beauty.

The twins turned to find two young ladies, clearly sisters, looking at them quite helpfully and hopefully.

George cleared his throat, "Well, yes, that would be very kind of you."

"We've been out of the country for a time, you see, in, er, Romania," explained Fred glibly. He could see his twin nodding in agreement.

"How exciting! And spooky! Did you run into any vampires or werewolves?" asked the melodic voice with a giggle.

Fred and George merely looked at each other and smiled. This was going to be a delight.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Sainsbury's: Tinned & Canned Goods_

_Vegetables_

In the tinned vegetable aisle, Tonks and Lupin were able to direct Molly and Moody to differences in brands and appropriate quantities, thus the trolleys were filling quite nicely.

"Eh, what's this. There's something suspicious about this tin, Lupin," whispered Moody. He was holding a can of spinach. A balding cartoon sailor was on the wrapper, one eye larger than the other. "The fellow isn't moving."

Molly leaned over to peer at this novelty.

"Muggle pictures don't move," explained Lupin, "and you really wouldn't want that one to."

"Oh, look at these rows and rows of peas!" said Molly in delight. She began sweeping her hand to put a whole row of cans into her basket when Tonks put a hand out to stop her.

"Molly, let's forget about that. Um, I really don't care for them myself due to a bad childhood experience, actually." Tonks shot a silencing glance to Lupin about this. He had given Molly the impression he enjoyed the peas she had cooked during their first Order meeting--after they wound up crowning his head.

But Molly turned to Lupin anyway and said, "Remus, you must convince Tonks to give peas a chance."

Lupin was surprised he could keep his mouth from twitching at the phrase, especially with Tonks giving him that look of sweet innocence. He made up his mind to avoid any puns, but instead found his tongue slipping. "Molly, peas, I mean, please let's just stick to the items on the list."

Lupin could see the merry twinkle in Tonks' eyes, but Molly agreed and went on to the potatoes. Then, as Tonks cruised by Lupin, she covertly placed a tin in his trolley and murmured, "Peas be with you."

Lupin sighed as he put the peas back into their shelf, then pulled Moody away from an inspection of a can of green beans.

The label held the picture of a green giant that made the Auror mumble, "I think I fought that giant once..."

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Sainsbury's: Rice & Pasta_

"Oh, you are so lucky we decided to help you before seeing to our shopping," declared the brunette. "You can't just get any pasta, you have to know what the dish will be! Fettucine is long and flat while spaghetti is long and thin, but you need to distinguish them from linguine or angel hair..."

The two young women were quite lovely and very helpful, but the girl with the melodic voice had been rather silent. Instead her sister had been giving nonstop instructions in her high pitched, nasally voice. It was like constantly hearing fingernails scraping across a chalkboard!

"How about we get some of each one?" asked Fred desperately.

"That's a grand idea. Mum can cook anything," agreed George readily as he rubbed his ears.

This was one of the most miserable shopping ventures they had ever experienced. They couldn't wait for it to end so they could just get back to Order headquarters to put their time to good use: their creations.

"But now you need the pasta sauces. Of course, you could have alfredo, clam, marinara, pesto..."

"One of each!" called the twins immediately.

"Aren't you lucky we've been here to help?" asked the melodic voice of the siren.

The boys sighed in unison at her dulcet tones and readily agreed, then cringed. That's the mistake they kept repeating.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Sainsbury's: Meat Counter_

Molly was closely inspecting every package of mincemeat in view.

"But where did these come from? How long have they been here? How do you know if it's any good?" asked Molly in quick succession as she poked at the wrapping.

Tonks smiled indulgently and said, "The date is on the label, but if you have other questions, just push that red button. One of the butchers will answer your questions."

Molly bit her lip and hesitantly pressed the button.

_Buzz._

"Can I help you, ma'am?" asked the man behind the counter. He smiled kindly at Molly for he had always liked women with red hair. This one had very nice eyes, too.

Molly looked at the man sternly and asked, "Where does this mince meat come from?"

"That's British beef, it is. Black Angus," asserted the man with a proud nod. He smiled, waited for another question, but when none was forthcoming, turned his attention back to his tasks.

Molly asked Tonks out of the corner of her mouth, "What's an anglus?

"An angus is a cow, Molly, now let's load up the packages. A preservation spell will keep them for a year," said Tonks as she began to grab parcels. The men behind her were collecting whole chickens and the larger joints for roasts, but Molly had another issue.

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz._

"Don't need to call more'n once, ma'am," said the man kindly.

"How fresh is the mincemeat, exactly?" asked Molly with suspicion.

"Minced just this morning in our grinders in the back."

"Minced? Not butchered?"

"Eh? Why would we kill the cow here?"

"Why do you call yourself a butcher, then?" asked Molly as she pointed to his badge.

"Molly, dear, I could use your help here," called her elderly companion. Much to the relief of the butcher, she yanked the redheaded woman away. "Look! Bacon! Yummy!"

While Molly was inspecting those packages, Moody turned to Lupin and Tonks and murmured, "I sense something foul."

Lupin and Tonks looked at the package of chicken in Moody's hand, but since Tonks gestured she had zipped her lips to prevent a pun, it fell to Lupin to assure, "It's dead, Alastor, doesn't even have a head."

"Not the fowl, I meant I think we're being watched."

Lupin and Tonks were immediately on alert when they noticed the blue eye whirling madly. Tonks moved closer to Molly and took a vigilant stance.

Lupin looked around again, but said, "I don't see anything out of place. What's the problem?"

Moody jerked his head toward a tank that held lobsters. Indeed, for some unknown reason, each creature appeared to be turned in their direction with their eye stalks seeming to stare. Then Lupin recognized the answer.

"Alastor, the light fixture has gone out on this side of their tank, so it's darker and that's what they prefer. We just happen to be in the same direction."

Tonks relaxed her stance as she heard the explanation, but Moody stomped to the tank to loom over the lobsters. They responded by collectively scampering away from the electric blue eye. Lupin pulled the Auror away before the creatures began trying to crawl out.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Sainsbury's: Baking Goods_

Fred and George had tried to escape, but every attempt failed when the melodic voice had stopped them in their tracks. It was as effective as Tonks' gumshoe spell.

"Fred, George," sang the voice. "This is the way to the baking goods."

The voice of the siren drew them into the net, then the nightmare began again. The painful voice filled their ears, "Now there are several types of flours. There's white, wheat, oat, rye..."

The nasally drone seemed impossible from such a beautiful mouth. George could tell that Fred would have given anything for his wand in order to cast a muffling charm on the girl, but they had been forced to leave them in Grimmauld place so they wouldn't be tempted to play jokes on Muggles. No one had anticipated this torture.

"Let's just get white. Mum likes white." Fred tried to keep his tone friendly.

"She loves white. White is the best, the only," agreed George firmly. They were almost finished with the list.

"Oh, well, then do you need all-purpose or self-rising?"

The twins turned to each other in shared jeopardy. Each refused to ask the necessary question, so they settled for a quick game of paper-rock-scissors.

George sighed when he lost. "What's the difference?"

"Oh, well, self-rising means it has a leavening agent and that's normally..."

The twins thought they'd be happy if they were Sirius Black about now. He never had to go out Order headquarters and endure such a horrible voice. Even Buckbeak's squawking was preferable to this.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Sainsbury's: Fresh Produce_

"Look, fresh pineapples!" Molly's voice was delighted at the discovery. "It's Arthur's favorite. Oh, we must get one."

Standing before them was a neat pyramid of pineapples, their golden coats inviting the shopper to pluck it from its perch. They were even in different sizes with the miniature pineapples perched near the top. In fact, a shopper came by, grabbed a pineapple from the middle of the pyramid, and hurried off.

Molly was reaching forward to grab the best looking fruit, but Tonks quickly intercepted her as she envisioned the pyramid tumbling. "Let me get that, Molly."

Lupin looked on with approval as Tonks carefully removed a fruit form the pyramid and turned thinking she had averted disaster. Then everything seemed to go in slow motion.

Molly had moved her trolley so that Tonks had to bend her elbow sharply to put the pineapple into her basket.

_Thwack!_

Her elbow seemed to find the one pineapple that was critical to the structural integrity of the edifice of fruit. Tonks turned quickly and held the pineapple in place. She sighed in relief as the structure settled quietly. She turned with a smile, but failed to realize the back of her fuzzy cardigan had snagged the pointy coat of a small pineapple. She moved away from the pineapple pyramid.

_Rumble, rumble._

They could hear the soft rumble of fruit as the pyramid began collapsing behind Tonks. Molly surprised herself by catching a pineapple before it fell while Lupin displayed an amazing ability to juggle fruit. Luckily Moody flew into immediate action and quickly called a freezing charm so that the fruit was suspended.

"Stand there and hide me while I fix this," ordered Tonks.

The three turned their backs to hide the pineapple stand as Tonks used her transformed wand to re-create the pyramid. Molly smiled nervously at the Muggle shoppers. Lupin merely nodded pleasantly and was completely unaware he had caught the eye of the blonde passing by. Moody tried a friendly smile that served the purpose of scaring away any remaining shoppers.

"Done." Tonks replaced her wand pin with a satisfied smile.

"You missed one," murmured Lupin. He caught sight of the miniature pineapple that was still snagged on the back of her cardigan. The static charge gave him a mild shock as he pulled it off and handed it to her.

"Oh, I thought it was just my imagination," explained Tonks as she tried to avoid turning pink. It was rather embarrassing to be the cause of the commotion. She tucked the small fruit away in her trolley and said, "I suppose I can give it to Wimples. For all I know he's spent his morning fighting soap bubbles."

"I'm sure he'll be able to vanquish his foe," assured Lupin. "You'll be able to check on him soon enough. I hope the twins are about finished as well. Let's go."

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Sainsbury's: Dairy_.

The brunettes followed the twins once they had settled on the butter and eggs they needed. The redheads had made this the best shopping trip of their lives! The young men were tall, handsome and had an air of distinction about them. And they were so sweetly shy! Why, they had yet to ask for their phone number. The young women were certain the twins wouldn't part without it. These were their thoughts as they watched Fred and George conferring quietly.

"This is it. We've got the eggs and butter, we just need milk." Fred sighed in relief as he read the last item on their list.

"Here's the plan. You load up all the milk we need in my trolley. They'll think we need to put the same amount into yours since that's been our pattern, but instead, we make a mad dash for the checkout."

"A daring plan, but one I'm confident we can carry out. Let's do it."

The twins turned to the brunettes and said, "All we need is milk now."

The nasally voice squealed. "Oh, but you have to get the right kind."

The twins felt their hearts thumping to a stop. Surely milk was just milk in the Muggle world?

"Why there's whole milk or semi-skimmed milk or even skimmed milk or perhaps you might need buttermilk..."

The twins swiveled their necks to look at row upon row of milk jugs and sighed. While the wheezy voice droned on, George muttered, "Go for the whole milk. Surely Mum can spell it any way she wants after that?"

"Right, then. Back to Plan A." Fred began frantically loading up George's trolley with milk jugs while the explanation continued. "Keep talking, I'll just load a few of these first."

As they were being educated about the pastuerization process, George suddenly said, "Oy! That's Mum calling, we'd better go!"

Despite the weight of the trolley, he was soon out of sight with Fred close behind him adding, "Thanks so much, ladies, we've had a lovely time."

The girls sighed and the one with the melodic voice said, "Wasn't this morning the best?"

"It was like magic," sighed the nasally one.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Sainsbury's: Fresh Produce_

Lupin knew he could count on Tonks to prevent Molly from adding fresh peas to her trolley, but he was distracted by Moody looming near a rather well endowed young blonde standing by the fresh greens.

Lupin smiled to himself at the thought of the Auror leering at the woman, but then he frowned when he remembered that Moody had lost a chess match to Tonks when she had been wearing a shirt with a similarly scooped neckline. He cleared his throat and quietly approached the Auror.

"Is there something of interest here, Alastor?"

"There's a strange noise. Don't you hear it?" Moody's eye was again whirling.

Lupin glanced around quickly but failed to spot any crustaceans in the vicinity. Then he recognized a familiar hiss and saw the water sprayers above the greens--at the same time Moody had. Lupin responded immediately by grabbing the nozzle of the sprayer and directing it away from Moody.

Unfortunately, the water erupted at that moment and spewed all over the buxom blonde standing next to them.

Lupin had an amazing ability to merely look disbelieving in the face of such disaster. He stared at the blonde who now had a noticeably wet t-shirt.

"Madam, I am so sorry," began Lupin before catching Tonks directing a glare his way. He wasn't quite sure why she was angry since she wasn't the one sporting a wet shirt, but somehow he knew he was dead meat for this fiasco.

"R.J.! Didn't I tell you not to play with the produce?" admonished the curly haired old woman as she swatted Lupin's shoulder with a bunch of carrots. Then, feeling guilty for abusing vegetables in this manner, Tonks tossed the bunch into her trolley to serve to Wimples later.

The blonde victim just looked at her front and emitted a throaty laugh. "It's all right, no real harm done, though normally I get paid for wearing a wet t-shirt."

"It's not that wet dear," said Molly as she stepped in and surreptitiously used her 'knitting needle' to dry off the young woman. "See, it looks all dry now."

"Oh, why, it is! Just like magic," chortled the woman. Then she smiled up at Lupin and spoke in her sultry voice while she wrote something on a piece of paper. "I like my men lean and long, so if you want to make it up to me sometime, just call. I'm Bambi."

She tucked the note in Lupin's cardigan pocket and sashayed away with confidence that she had his full attention.

"Moody, quit staring," hissed Molly at the Auror.

"Just verifying she wasn't a Death Eater in disguise," offered Moody in defense.

Lupin's attention, in the meantime, had been completely on Tonks. She had wasted no time in snatching the note out of his pocket and casting a small incendiary spell. Her actions made no sense to him.

"Tonks, you shouldn't have done that," began Lupin as the wisp of smoke disappeared. The incendiary spells were the most likely to attract attention.

"Oh? Were you intending on contacting that, that--"

"Bambi?" Lupin was puzzled by this assumption.

"Don't make me laugh. That name is as fake as her body parts, not to mention that blonde hair," asserted Tonks with a huff. "The tart needs to touch up her roots."

Before Lupin could reply, Tonks pushed her trolley forward and said, "We're done here; let's check out."

Moody followed along, but Molly hung behind just a moment with Lupin.

"Remus, three pieces of advice," began Molly. She held up her index finger, "One: don't accuse Tonks of doing anything wrong."

"But--"

Molly stopped him with a wag of her finger, "Two: declare you didn't find that woman at all attractive even if you're lying through your teeth."

"But--"

Molly snapped her fingers and Lupin fell quiet again. "Three: apologize to Tonks for upsetting her."

The Weasley matriarch made a regal departure even as she pushed her trolley away from him. Lupin mulled over her words as he and the twins converged at the checkout. He noticed the weary look in their eyes and quirked an eyebrow.

The twins simultaneously offered a one word explanation. "Women."

"Tell me about it," agreed Lupin. He glanced up at Tonks who was supervising the distribution of funds and thought about Molly's advice again. Then he realized that that they had a major failure in their plan.

Lupin pushed his trolley behind Moody's and asked, "How are we getting all this food to Order headquarters? I didn't think about making provisions for transport."

"Not to fear because I did," assured Moody. "Fletcher will be meeting us outside as soon as I give the signal.

"Dung's coming?" asked Lupin. He closed his eyes for a moment. Perfect. Tonks might be upset with Lupin, but she was enraged by Mundungus Fletcher and his groping hands.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Sainsbury's Exodus_

The company stood outside of the store with shopping trolleys laden with their purchases.

"Just wait a moment," said Moody as he banged his cane on the sidewalk outside of the store.

Lupin managed to stand next to Tonks who was clearly still upset with him given the way she stiffened as he approached. But the Professor was determined to get on her good side with utmost haste before she discovered Dung.

Tonks squirmed as he approached. She felt a bit stupid for acting out of jealousy. It wasn't as if she couldn't have bovine-sized breasts if she wanted. And she knew better than to think Lupin had intentionally sprayed the woman. Still, her old insecurities had been awoken as she saw the confident way Bambi handled the entire episode. How would clumsy Nymphadora Tonks fare in comparison?

"Tonks, look, I'm sorry if I did anything to upset you. That's not the sort of woman who attracts me and you have my assurance that I had no intention of contacting her."

"And do you think I care?" she said curtly.

"My mistake." Lupin was taken aback by her tone and hurt by the implication. He moved away from her quickly to talk to the twins.

Tonks bit her lip. She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth but was at a loss at how to approach Lupin now. Then a red double-decker bus suddenly pulled into the parking lot and stopped in front of them.

"Aye, mates, need a lift?"

Tonks felt her hackles rising. Mundungus Fletcher! They had seen each other since the first Order meeting, but never had she been this close to revenge. This would be a good way to get her mind off of her dismal situation with Lupin.

She waited patiently as Moody helped Molly onto the bus and Lupin helped the twins get their purchases loaded. She was last in line, but that was fine with her. It gave her more time to savor the payback she would deal to the lecherous thief.

Once her trolley was empty, however, the twins jumped on the bus and quickly closed the doors shouting to Fletcher, "Go, go!"

The bus roared out of the parking lot leaving Tonks and Lupin standing on the sidewalk. Beside them were two young ladies with chocolate brown hair who sighed mournfully as the bus vanished from sight.

- - - - - - - - - -

Tonks began walking off in a huff, Lupin had set up Dung's timely escape, she just knew it! It would take the bus some time to reach Order headquarters in the London traffic, so she had no need to disapparate. As soon as she rounded the corner, she dropped the gray curls for pink hair. She left her wand as a pin on her cardigan and told herself not to use it on her shadow.

Lupin had been following her and his long stride allowed him to quickly catch up with her. He said not a word when she quickened her pace, but merely adjusted his gait to match hers.

Well, it was good he was quiet because Tonks was ready to blast him for keeping Fletcher out of her range. Or if he said a single word to her about her tantrum. Or having hurt him with her callous remark. She didn't need him to point out her childish outburst. Or how jealous her behavior had been because it wasn't as if she thought of Lupin as hers. Hers? Her Remus Lupin? Her step faltered and she missed the crack in the pavement.

But Lupin was there to catch her when she stumbled. His arms went around her silently to prevent her fall. Because of the heavy pedestrian traffic, he pulled her with him to lean against the wall of the building to give her time to catch her balance. Still, Lupin remained silent.

He was about to move his arms away when he felt Tonks clutch at his arms. He almost missed the soft whisper of her voice.

"I'm sorry, Remus."

Lupin closed his eyes as he felt Tonks relax her posture and lean into him a little. For a moment he wanted to relish the feeling of holding her in his arms, so he tightened his embrace. They both needed the contact as a salve for their insecurities.

For just one moment, Lupin wanted to pretend that he could hold her gently like this whenever he wished. But it was not a dream he could see realized, so he dampened the impulse that made him want to press his cheek against her hair, to murmur to her that she was the only woman he could possibly want.

Instead, he let the moment end. Lupin gave a gentle squeeze to her shoulder and moved to her side. "Look, I think that Molly can supervise the unloading of groceries better than we can. Why don't we stop at your flat for a bite to eat and to check on your laundry? You don't want Wimples to be swimming in a sea of bubbles."

His remark earned a chuckle from Tonks. She shook her head and said, "Professor, I know that you're trying to divert me from going after Dung."

"Is it working?" asked Lupin with that air of boyish charm he was unaware he wielded.

"Come on, let's save the bunny from being bubbled."

Tonks smiled up at Lupin, then she entwined her arm into his to pull him along. And as she felt the day brighten for being so close to him, Tonks acknowledged a disturbing thought. Her crush on the Professor was getting a bit out of hand.

_End of Chapter _

Minor edits.

Author Notes:  
The idea of wizards going shopping at a Muggle supermarket has been teasing me for some time, so here it is. Sainsbury's is a chain found in the UK, although I'm sure they don't carry the same brands as found in the USA. Still, I couldn't resist the Allen's Spinach with the Popeye the Sailor cartoon or the Jolly Green Giant.

The gumshoe spell is not canon nor do I have any real idea about how wizards deal with groceries. But I thought that Fred and George would be charmingly clueless shoppers and couldn't resist torturing them a bit. I love the twins, though.

Moody inserted himself into the story and I know better than to argue with him.

Thanks for reading and continued reviews. Again, slow progress, but it's the ups-and-downs of relationships.


	10. Wounded Heart

Summary: Kisses and cuts; Tonks grows up. A story with fluff and darkness.

**Nymph vs Wolf**  
_**Wounded Hearts**_

_Hogwarts_

"At least some have been convinced, Remus. Frankly with the propaganda the Ministry is circulating through the Daily Prophet, I am not surprised at the outcome." Albus Dumbledore sat back with a soft sigh.

"Perhaps you should send someone else," suggested Remus Lupin as he sat across the desk. "I'm not much good to anybody."

"Remus, that's the waxing moon talking. You are a valuable member of the Order. You were instrumental in getting Harry to Order headquarters; I doubt he would have trusted anyone else who was available to go. Now he's safely back at Hogwarts as he should be," reminded Dumbledore. Then as he pushed a scroll to Lupin, he added, "And you offer a personal sacrifice for all lycanthropes."

Lupin looked at the scroll apprehensively. "They accepted my proposal?"

"The council approved it thinking that no one werewolf would volunteer to undergo all of the procedures." Dumbledore leaned forward, "I submitted your name and affidavit attesting to your volunteering and releasing the Ministry of any responsibility should something unfortunate happen."

Lupin exhaled slowly. "They had a five-year old boy on the list as well as a girl of ten! It will be worth it to save the little ones from the screening."

"State-sanctioned torture is more accurate," said Dumbledore. "I still think you should have let me try other avenues of persuasion."

"I just want it clearly demonstrated that silver won't poison werewolves," said Lupin. "When?"

"You're to report to the Ministry tomorrow night without Wolfsbane. You'll be taken to a cell, stripped, and chained to the wall before you even transform, your face encased in a chain-mail mask. Then the designated Auror will systematically administer the protocol."

"Ah, I see they haven't left out any dehumanizing steps," murmured Lupin.

"It doesn't end on the full moon, Remus. They know you'll be at your weakest on the following day. Umbridge insisted that, if you survive the night, the protocol should be repeated the next day."

Lupin rose from his chair. "Then I hope that Kingsley is as good a healer as he is a weapons master."

"Remus, I know you don't like to call on the arcane magic of Lyonesse, but this is one time when your lineage could protect you. Some of the wounds they intend to inflict are visceral."

"So even though the silver won't kill me, the blood loss itself will," concluded Lupin. He nodded his head; he had expected something like that. "Well, it's nice to know I've become enough a dissident for such consideration."

"Try to get some rest tonight, Remus."

"I will," he said and offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile to the Headmaster.

Lupin walked through the empty halls and remembered the youthful voices of his friends. He would tell Sirius about the silver screening, but no one else in the Order would know except Kingsley until it was over.

The halls echoed the darkness in his heart, but as he walked, he knew that what he needed was light. And for him, that meant a visit to Nymphadora Tonks.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

"Wimples! Give it back!" cried Tonks as she scurried after the vorpal bunny. In frustration she took off one of her spiked heels and threw it at the furball. It flew through the open door of her bedroom and landed in the living room.

But the vorpal bunny ignored the command and effectively dodged the projectile. He picked up speed as he ran away from his mistress and into her living room.

_Knock, knock._

"Bloody hell! Would you just go away!" called Tonks crossly toward her front door as she gave chase. "Wimples is on the rampage."

On the other side of the door, Lupin frowned. "I'm not afraid of a were-rab--"

A squeak stopped his words, then he heard Tonks call, "Wotcher, Remus! Come in, but shut the door quickly."

Lupin heard the muffled words and the sounds of paws scampering followed by a _click, slap, click, slap_ as if a person were wearing one shoe. He opened the door cautiously and sure enough, the were-rabbit aimed directly for it, but his escape was prevented when the Professor scooped the lepine by the scruff of his neck.

_Snerf, snerf, snerf. _Wimples snarled in determination. He would not to share his trophy with anyone, but his nemesis seemed more interested in his mistress at the moment.

Tonks stood in front of them in a picture of femininity. Her hair was in a wave of pastel pink that emphasized her heart-shaped face. She wore a flattering, knee-length, lilac dress with spaghetti straps, although Lupin's attention was immediately drawn to her legs. Tonks wore one spiked heel while the other foot was bare. He saw its mate out of the corner of his eye lying on the floor. The squirming bunny then got his attention.

"What have we here?" asked Lupin when he registered that Wimples had thin, orange straps captured in his ears. As he tugged the straps loose, he soon identified the garment: a bra. He was quite pleased at his ability to blandly ask, "I assume this is yours?"

"I happen to like a bit of color," said Tonks in a huff, although she knew she was blushing.

"So does your pet," said Lupin as he released the bunny with a plop to the floor while extending the lingerie to its owner.

Tonks tried to make a quick grab for the garment, but to her chagrin, the elastic slipped out of her grasp and popped Lupin's hand. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just--"

"Snappish?"

"Clumsy," asserted Tonks as she snatched the garment and ignored her pet's minute leaps to get it. But the pun made her lips curve into a small smile. She held the bra behind her back and sighed, "All right, go ahead and laugh. Wimples got into my drawer of unmentionables and thought he'd discovered carrot paradise or some such."

"Ah, that explains the chase, but why the party dress?"

Tonks was silent for a moment as she looked down, nudged Wimples away with her bare toe, and hopped on one foot while she took off the other spiked heel. She finally admitted, "I was on a date."

Lupin quirked an eyebrow at this news, but Wimples flicked his ear as if confirming her statement. The Professor hadn't seen the young Auror in several days because he'd been sent out on a mission. All he could manage to say was, "I see."

"Look, Bill Weasley forced me to go on a double-date with him and Fleur when I lost a bet," began Tonks, but her hands fluttered in exasperation before she noticed she was waving her bra around. "Uh, just make yourself at home while I go put this away--and put a locking spell on my drawer..."

Tonks ambled to her bedroom muttering to herself, so Lupin followed Wimples to the sofa. As had become his habit when he was at her flat, he kicked off his shoes, shrugged out of his jacket and removed his tie before sitting in the middle of the sofa. Wimples climbed beside him and began a bath.

Lupin gazed blankly at the wall for a moment. So, Tonks had been on a date? It's what he wanted; he'd been feeling a tension between them building lately and it was best for her to consort with some young man who would fill her attention. A man who could hold her, kiss her, nibble on her carrots. Ugh! Wonderful. Even now his imagination was running rampant with images of Tonks.

"Thank you, Wimples, all I needed was another impure thought of Nymphadora Tonks running around my mind," said Lupin to the vorpal bunny who was cleaning his ears with care.

The bunny sat up to scratch his ear, then jumped into his top hat that was sitting on Lupin's left side. His work was done for the night.

Lupin leaned forward with elbows on his knees and let his head fall into his hands. Not only did he have to face the silver screening, he was tired, the full moon was imminent, and Tonks was jumping into the dating game. He should just go and leave her to her get on with her life.

"You don't look happy. It didn't go well?" she asked as she left her bedroom and sat beside him.

Lupin was about to make his excuses to leave when he felt her arm fall across his back. He told himself to resist temptation, but then she leaned her cheek against his shoulder as her hand moved in a slow, soothing circle. Although the water nymph was the source of his fantasies, it was Tonks' real presence in his life that he truly valued for it soothed his very soul.

He found his voice. "I had to defend Dumbledore's very sanity. The whole mission was a disaster, especially the dinner tonight. I convinced some, but not as many as I'd like. "

"Every little bit helps, Remus," murmured Tonks into his shoulder. He always smelled good and felt warm --and made her feel whole. This was no school girl crush she felt for the Professor; it reached far deeper into her soul.

He could feel her voice reverberating against his back and could catch the scent of her perfume. Lupin reached over to pat the hand she held in her lap, but she gently clasped his hand so he let the touch linger. He was testing the limits of his fantasy world where he could pretend that Tonks belonged to him as more than just a friend.

They stayed in that position silently for a few minutes as they drew comfort from the other's presence. Lupin let the foreboding events of tomorrow slip away for the moment. Once he could finally relax, he adjusted his position as he leaned back and rested his arm on the back of the sofa.

"So how did this date come about?" He hoped he didn't sound too eager for details. He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Tonks moved into the crook of his arm with her back against his chest so she could lay her cheek against his arm. The words began tumbling out as she explained.

"Gringott's was having a fancy party, but Fleur and Bill couldn't officially go together because of a touchy situation with Fleur's intern status, so they needed decoy dates, and after I lost a bet to Bill about the quidditch match, he insisted I go because he'd already coerced one of his old mates who works for the Ministry to be Fleur's faux escort for the decoy double date."

"That's the oddest thing I've ever heard," said Lupin with a shake of his head. "What went wrong?"

"You should ask if anything went right," muttered Tonks as she turned around and tapped the back of her head against his arm. "Fleur insisted on coming over to help me dress; that's how I wound up in this purple thing--have I mentioned that I'm developing an aversion to the color? And where am I supposed to keep my wand? So I used a garter belt as a holster when Fleur wasn't looking."

And Tonks followed this comment with a deft tug to extract the wand and tossed it on the coffee table. Lupin couldn't prevent following her movements. The dress came to just above her knees and he had to take note of Tonks' very shapely legs. He had to force his eyes from repeatedly following their contours, in fact.

"It's a pretty dress although I see how it would be impractical for wand storage," he said after clearing his throat. Of its own volition, his hand fell to her bare shoulder.

"Mum bought it for me or I wouldn't have had it in my closet," explained Tonks as she absently picked at a spot on the fabric at her lap and snuggled further into the crook of his arm. In a small voice she added, "It had a pretty scarf that went with it, but I lost it after it strangled me."

"How did an inanimate object strangle you?" wondered Lupin aloud. He stopped his thumb from rubbing against the smooth skin of her shoulder when he noticed what he was doing.

"I tossed the edges over my shoulder just as my date closed the door behind me and, well, I think I turned as purple as my dress before he realized it wasn't his presence that was leaving me speechless."

"Then you're better off without it," asserted Lupin.

"I would have noticed the problem if I hadn't been so worried about not toppling over. Fleur spiked the heels of my sandals with one of her spells, so I was wobbling around as if I was tipsy all night. But the bloke kept leaning into me to steady me."

"He sounds like a gentleman," offered Lupin.

"More like a chauvinist," grumbled Tonks. "He never asked me what I wanted to eat or drink, he just handed me a plate or a glass, which I kept dumping over people before I could get rid of them--although Bill seemed to appreciate it when I spilled some wine on the front of Fleur's dress."

"Men are strange like that," admitted Lupin. He told himself not to feel pleased that Tonks had not found her Prince Charming. And to quit sneaking a peak down her dress!

"So after we make our excuses for leaving since Fleur was soaking wet, my date insists on seeing me home for my safety, completely ignoring the fact that I'm an Auror, mind you."

"I always walk you home," injected Lupin.

"But that's so different. We talk, we tease. He didn't even have a clue about the puns I was dropping all night long!" Tonks shook her head. "So we get here and before I know it, Wimples is on a tantrum and my date's jumping on the coffee table squealing like a little girl. I'm trying to calm Wimples; he's trying to blast him with a spell, and Wimples seems set on aggravating everyone. I managed to get Wimples into my bedroom and close the door before sending the chap on his way only to find that I left my drawer open from getting dressed earlier and Wimples fluffing up a nest, thinking he's found carrot paradise."

"I think the upcoming full moon is making him a little manic," offered Lupin.

"Yeah, and I'm better off without a humorless git, it's just--." Tonks face was downcast as she added, "I'm a failure when it comes to being a normal girl, Remus. Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear."

"No, no," said Lupin insistently. He put his hand under her chin so he could look into her eyes. "Don't ever think that, Nymphadora."

He looked into her bright eyes and wished he could say something more to convince her. His eyes fell to her lips and he wished this time that he could do something to show her how desirable she was.

He felt his head dropping toward her even as he noticed her face turning up to him.

_Knock, knock, knock._

"Miss Tonks? Nymphadora? It's me, Matthew Blakesley."

The two jumped apart as if splashed with cold water. Tonks blinked. Was it her imagination? Had Lupin been about to kiss her?

"Nymphadora, really, I must speak with you." The voice was insistent through the door. "I really feel that for your own safety, you need to get rid of your, er, pet. I can have some men over from the Control of Magical..."

"Uh, I better see to this," said Tonks. Then as she saw Lupin making as if to stand, she ordered, "No, you stay right there."

She walked to the door and opened it with a false smile pasted on her face. "Wotcher, Matthew, and please just call me Tonks. Look, I'm sorry about Wimples, but what can I say? He's my furry little problem."

"Nympha--"

"Tonks." A masculine voice echoed the insistent feminine one.

Blakesley looked over Tonks' shoulder at her guest, who merely inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Oh, hello. Professor Lupin? Is that you?"

"You know each other?" asked Tonks.

Blakesley entered the room further. "Professor Lupin was my teacher when I was a wee lad. Why we haven't seen each other in over twenty years. I didn't think you'd still be alive."

"I tutored you during the summer when you were fifteen," reminded Lupin, "and it's been eleven years."

However, as he said this, Lupin's elbow managed to overturn the top hat at his side that contained the vorpal bunny. Although he didn't jump out, the hat served as a megaphone to amplify the were-rabbit's rather vicious snarl. Wimples eyes looked red and menacing within the dark depths of the hat.

_Snarl, snarl, snarl._

Blakesley backed away and Tonks used the opportunity to push him to the door. "I think the upcoming full moon is having its effect on Wimples, so don't worry. He only attacks witless vegetables."

At this point Wimples' head emerged from the top hat with ears flared back, feral eyes blazing and his incisors fully extended.

"On second thought, perhaps you do have reason to worry. Tell you what, if you ever figure that one out, let me know. Good night, good bye, have a good life."

As the door closed with a click, Lupin was patting the bunny's head and scratching behind his ears. He commiserated by saying, "I know the feeling."

Satisfied with the situation, Wimples retreated back into his top hat, so Lupin set it on the floor to the side of the sofa so he wouldn't upset it further.

Tonks walked back to him with a smile. "And I thought I was the clumsy one."

"Gangly limbs, the bane of my life," replied Lupin with a shrug. "I remember Matthew quite well and you're right, he is a witless git."

Tonks laughed brightly and sat by Lupin again. She had really missed this feeling of contentment; she had missed him.

"I should give Matthew credit for at least being a passable kisser, I guess."

Lupin felt his heart do the oddest flip. "He kissed you? You've just met the man and you let him kiss you?"

"It wasn't as if I expected it! Anyway, that's when Wimples began his tantrum."

From the top hat on the floor, the long white ears protruded from the hat and wiggled in satisfaction.

"Well obviously Wimples was going to protect your virtue," defended Lupin. He didn't understand why he sounded so cross. "That's his duty."

Tonks argued immediately, "My virtue was never in danger! And it wasn't as if I could have dodged it. I mean he--he--did this."

Tonks decided to prove her point. One hand went around the back of Lupin's head while the other pressed lightly against his cheek. She drew on all the courage she could muster and completed the act, praying that she wouldn't bump his nose or land on nothing but mustache or bite his lip.

Of course she managed to do all three. Wimples' ears were now drooping over the rim of the top hat in defeat while Tonks pulled back blushing almost beet red. She covered her face with her hands. "I am so hopeless."

Lupin blinked off the pain, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as her distress. He felt an urgent need to make her feel better, so the emotional part of his brain took over. He said gently, "No, you're not hopeless, Nymphadora. I'm the one who's the novice."

"What?" her hands fell away from her face as she looked at him in confusion.

Lupin gently cupped her face with his hands, tilted at the appropriate angle and leaned forward. He had done this so often in his dreams that his actions were precise. He knew this was dangerous, but he intended just to brush her lips with his own. But when he felt the reality of her warm texture, his mouth pursued this avenue of sensation seeking as his rational brain evaporated completely.

Tonks felt his firm lips against hers and was expecting the same physical experience that other men's kisses had left in her. But this kiss was so much more! Her whole body suddenly felt warmer and responded by pressing into him. Her head was spinning as if she could drown in the sensation, but she couldn't get enough of the feeling. She used her mouth to taste him and he automatically followed her movement.

Lupin ignored the distress signals in the back of his mind in lieu of this one moment of pleasure. He gave no thought to being interrupted by the vorpal bunny. In fact, the ears retracted fulling into the top hat as Wimples settled for a nap.

But the voice of caution soon made itself heard, so they pulled away from each other as the kiss left them breathless.

Lupin looked away from her and said a bit shakily. "I hope I've proved my point."

Tonks touched her lips and blurted. "I didn't expect it to feel so, so--wicked!."

Lupin shook his head. "I didn't expect any of this."

He was moving away from her in his agitation until he felt her hand on his arm. "Remus, what's wrong with this? I thought, I mean, I know I'm not a Fleur, but--"

Lupin clasped his hands in front of himself and shook his head. "I'm too old for this."

Tonks frowned. He was older, not old, and his sense of humor made him seem younger than someone like Blakesley. She tentatively said, "Remus, I've seen enough of the boy in you to know you haven't lost him yet."

Tonks put her hands around the back of his neck and threaded her fingers through his hair. He sat completely still for a moment. She was afraid he wouldn't respond, but this time her kiss was on target. Although he hesitated, the kiss was warmly met. The sweet temptation she offered could not be denied.

But Lupin was determined not to lose himself this time, so he pulled away from her. She had seen him without the facade of the Professor far too often, but he had plenty of deficits to pursue. "I'm too poor, Nymphadora. I don't even have a job except for the work with the Order."

Tonks put her cheek against his and whispered in his ear, "My heart isn't for sale, Remus, but I'd give it to you freely."

His own heart soared at her words and there was no protest from him as again she found his lips. And this time his body followed the urge to press her back into the sofa, to taste her lips, her skin, to touch her the way he'd been longing to.

She felt the pressure of his body on hers and wondered fleetingly why she ever thought he was too tall. What did it matter when he was kissing her? Or when his hands were caressing her? She had never felt so happy to be a woman.

He felt the soft, warm and responsive body as his hands glided over her. Water nymph or valkyrie, she was everything he wanted. And this might be his last chance to experience the act he had denied himself over the years. It would be a simple matter to make her his woman, but with that thought came the reality.

If he didn't survive the Ministry's experiment, then he would have just used Tonks for his own pleasure. And if he survived, he couldn't condemn her to a life with his curse. Lupin halted all movement and just let himself breathe in her scent as he buried his face into her hair. He needed to walk away.

"No, we can't do this. There's too much danger," declared Lupin as he forced his body away from hers. He sat up and raked a hand through his hair while he searched for his shoes. He had to get out of here.

Tonks just lay on the sofa watching him in confusion. "Danger? Remus, what exactly do you think I do for a living? I'm an Auror, for Merlin's sake."

"And I'm a werewolf; I'm cursed and I have no intention of dragging you into this with me."

"But I don't care--"

"Well, I do," insisted Lupin as he grabbed his jacket and walked quickly to the door. "And since I am older, I need to protect you."

"I don't need your protection," protested Tonks as she stood up and clenched her fists at her side. How had this become such a disaster?

Lupin stopped at the door but kept his back to her. He couldn't afford to look into her eyes as he said scathingly, "No, what you need to do is grow up, Nymphadora, and learn the difference between lust and love."

Tonks stood there in shock as the door closed.

- - - - - - - - -

Tonks went through the motions of going to bed, but the numbness still had not dissipated. She looked in the mirror and saw that her hair was its natural color, the same brown that was Remus Lupin's. She touched the strands lightly.

"Remus, what are you doing to me?"

She scrunched her face and recovered her pink locks, but her heart still felt numb.

At number twelve, Lupin was staring at the ceiling above his bed. He felt like a villain for deliberately hurting Tonks and this was reinforced as he watched the writing above him lose its luminescence. Tonks Territory was dimming before his eyes.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

"That smells good. Gonna share, mate?" asked Sirius Black as he ambled into the kitchen. The smell of bacon frying had driven him out of bed to seek the source. He hadn't smelled breakfast cooking since Molly left to return to the Burrow.

"Help yourself," said Lupin who had anticipated his friend's appetite this morning. He dangled an earing shaped in a filegree E and said, "I see you had a visitor while I was on mission."

"Where did you find that?" asked Sirius as he crunched on a strip of bacon and accepted the bauble.

"It was under the sideboard," replied Lupin as he gazed at the kitchen table. "Tell me the tabletop is still unsullied by human backsides?"

"It is! Emmeline came over two nights ago and we--"

"Spare me the details," injected Lupin as he held a hand up.

"We talked."

Lupin looked up suspiciously at Sirius. "Talked? Then why was the earring?"

"Well, maybe we did more than talk, but other than the earring, it was all in the bedroom."

"A minor miracle," murmured Lupin as he sipped his tea.

"Indeed. Do you know that Emmeline and I never just sat and talked to each other before? She brought the album of her personal gallery, in fact. I never knew she had painted so many portraits of me."

Lupin propped his chin on his hand and cautiously said, "Emmeline is quite talented, but I've only ever seen her public works."

"All of her paintings were--I never saw myself the way she painted them," explained Sirius as he shook his head in wonder. "You're in some of them, too, with James and Peter as well. She has a whole series she titled the Marauders of when we were at Hogwarts."

The two men fell silent as the ghosts of their past flittered through their minds. Sirius smiled, "I told her about some of our full moon adventures. She was inspired to try to paint something, although she'll have no idea what you look like as a werewolf."

Lupin's posture stiffened. Emmeline was privy to more information about Lupin than Sirius realized. It was time to make his confession.

"I'd rather she use artistic license in that regard, but Emmeline sketched the Werewolf during the last full moon."

Sirius leaned forward with a frown. "You don't like for people to see your wolf."

"Circumstances prevented that. We needed anatomical drawings and Emmeline's talent extends to being able to extract those from a superficial sketch."

Sirius now leaned forward in earnest. "Why?"

"Because we needed the precision if I'm to survive the silver screening tonight..."

The Professor then informed his best mate about the events to take place at the Ministry of Magic on this night. Lupin's voice held a calm detachment as he described the protocol. Sirius tapped his fingers on the table top for a moment, then gave an emphatic response to the news.

_Swat._

"Moony, you self-sacrificing git!" admonished Sirius as he swiped at the side of Lupin's head.

"Ow! What was that for? I'm helping the only way I know how, Padfoot. I thought you'd understand."

"I understand you quite well," assured Sirius. "You never thought you deserved to survive. First it was your parents--"

"They were too young to die."

"Then it was the Prewett brothers."

"The only thing that kept me alive in that fight was my bloodline not--"

"And then James and Lily."

"And Peter and you," accused Lupin. "People leave me, Sirius."

"Well, I came back, didn't I? And what about the people in the Order now who care about you?"

Lupin sat back uncomfortably as the imprint of Tonks flooded his mind. He just quietly murmured, "I'm expendable nonetheless."

"Dammit, you are valuable to the Order, to me, to Tonks!" Sirius pounded the kitchen table.

"Leave her out of this," said Lupin. He shook his head and added, "I've hurt her enough as it is."

_Swat._ Sirius gave another slap to the side of Lupin's head.

"Ow! Why did you do that?"

"You said you hurt my little cousin," explained Sirius. Actually, he was enjoying being on the other end of the dope slaps.

"Well, it wasn't like I took advantage of her. In fact, I didn't do anything." Lupin squirmed as Sirius quirked an eyebrow. "I kissed her, all right? I wasn't about to let anything happen after that."

_Swat._

"Ow!"

"And that's for not doing anything, you git! It's clear as the nose on your face that she fancies you," said Sirius.

Lupin closed his eyes and asserted, "It's a passing fancy, then. I won't use Tonks as a release for my sexual frustrations."

"Moony, if anyone deserves a, ahem, release, it's you, mate." Sirius shook his head and wondered if he could do any damage control for his friend. Lupin was obviously running scared; he'd seen James Potter do the same thing with Lily Evans. "So, let me get this straight. You lust after Tonks."

Lupin's head merely nodded.

"And you don't see her as a friend whatsoever. All the time you've spent with her is to check out her feminine charms?"

"No," Lupin immediately protested. "Next to you, she's my best friend."

Sirius nodded sagely. "So you're in lust with you're closest female friend."

"Right," said Lupin, a bit pleased that Sirius could see his view of the situation.

"Moony, you're mental, plain and simple." It was obvious to Sirius that the man couldn't admit that he'd fallen in love with his little cousin.

Lupin rubbed his forehead. "Look, I don't need another argument. If I've miscalculated my odds regarding the silver screening, it's all a moot point anyway."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Ministry of Magic_

Tonks entered the Auror office at eight o'clock in the evening to personally deliver the scroll containing her report of the days events. She had been dispatched on a team that had dealt with smugglers, but the chase had lasted all day. Still, her busy schedule meant she had little time to brood about Lupin's rejection of her the night before. Now as she went to her cubicle, the raw emotion came flooding back, but before she could let it overtake her, reality intruded.

"Tonks! Good, you're back. Listen, take a quick dinner break then get back here. I need you for a special assignment," said Kingsley Schacklebolt as he beckoned her. "It's internal to the Ministry."

"Internal?" asked Tonks as she rose and followed him out. She soon realized they were heading to the Disarmed and Detained section. "King, why are we going to D& D? I don't do these types of interrogations."

Shacklebolt pulled her into the weapons room and secured the door before speaking. He pulled out a set of silver knives and then produced a scroll out of his pocket. "Read that protocol."

Tonks scanned the weapons on the table and opened the scroll. She was soon frowning. Her eyes then opened wide and Shacklebolt could see her mouth moving as she read the details of the procedure to be performed on an undisclosed victim.

"This is torture!" she declared as she looked at Kingsley. "I refuse to be a party to this."

"Tonks, we need our best healer if the victim is to survive and that means you. You had two years of Healer training before you moved into the Aurors."

Tonks squirmed at this. "I was forced to resign from the Healers when I failed my orals."

"You didn't fail the practical exams, Tonks. I know, I've seen your records. These wounds tonight need be healed quickly."

Tonks inhaled a sharp breath. "These are wounds I'm supposed to inflict, not just heal, King. Why don't they have an attending Healer?"

"Because it's a special test case. Look, I was going to do it, but that's before I saw the full list," insisted the Auror. "It's a screening procedure on a werewolf to test for silver poisoning, Tonks."

"Werewolf?" asked Tonks as the hackles rose on the back of her neck.

"It was going to happen to a list of them, but one volunteered for all--"

"Bloody hell, what was Remus thinking?" asked Tonks in agitation. "And don't you dare deny that's who it is."

Shacklebolt shook his head, then Tonks let her rage get the better of her. "Why didn't the git tell me last night? Oh, Merlin, what a mess! Does he really think I'm some immature brat?"

"The information is classified, Tonks, and Remus didn't want you dragged into this, but I'm left with no other option. There are visceral cuts on this list; there's no way I could properly heal them but you can. Here, this is Lupin's werewolf. Emmeline Vance made the anatomical sketches during last full moon."

Tonks looked at the diagrams of the Wolf: muscle, viscera, skeleton. She tried to eliminate a shudder evoked by such cold analysis of Lupin's curse. He transformed into a wolf who was three meters tall. She couldn't imagine the pain he underwent as his spinal cord and joints accommodated the lupine skeletal structure. The internal organs grew and shifted within their cavities as well. The muscle lengthened and increased in mass in order to move the lupine frame.

"He's been planning this all along, then," muttered Tonks. She had missed him at the last full moon. Now she knew what he had been doing.

"It was just a precaution. He didn't know the Ministry would accept his proposal at the time, but you know Remus. He likes to be prepared."

Tonks nodded and looked at the protocol. Not only were there lacerations to the skin, but also wounds to the abdomen and thorax. The only thing spared was the cranium. She closed her eyes and suddenly laughed bitterly. "You know, last night I was dreaming of inflicting pain on Remus. I really hate it when my dreams come true."

Shacklebolt didn't pursue the odd comment, rather, he focused on the mission at hand. "You'll do it?"

"I don't have much choice, do I?"

"Meet me back here at ten o'clock. I'm sending Nymphadora Tonks out on mission for a few days so you'll have an alibi for tomorrow and the next few days."

- - - - - - - - - -

Tonks walked home and tried to think about securing Wimples in his cage for the were-rabbit's transformation tonight. But Lupin's voice kept echoing in her mind.

"What you need to do is grow up..."

Grow up, bury your feelings, do your duty. "And pray I don't kill the man I love."

The words slipped out, but Tonks knew the truth of them as soon as they were spoken. Lupin had rejected her, had set to deliberately hurt her, knowing what he faced tonight.

She felt Wimples nuzzling against her hand through the bars. The were-rabbit was the only witness to her tears. But she soon shook them off and pulled out the sketches of the Werewolf.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Ministry of Magic  
D&D_

"You'll be hooded so that Remus won't know who you are. You can match my height and he won't be any the wiser." Shacklebolt's deep voice had a calming effect on the younger Auror.

Tonks closed her eyes and when she stood, she matched her colleague's height. Her face broadened around the eyes and as she reached out to touch his hand, her skin color flooded with melanin until it matched.

"I'll need to copy your voice," said Tonks as she lifted her wand and commanded, "Phonemic _profundo_."

Shacklebolt began reciting the forty-four English phonemes and each appeared to fall from his mouth to be captured in her wand at his throat. Tonks pointed to her throat and spoke in his deep, resonating voice, "I have the elements I need to be your substitute."

"Good, this is perfect," said Shacklebolt as he inspected her.

"No, this is completely wrong," argued Tonks, but she accepted the robes that he offered to conceal her body. Still, she expected that somehow underneath it all, Lupin would know it was her.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Ministry of Magic  
D&D Cell 45_

Rufus Scrimgeour stood with Dolores Umbridge on his right as they watched Remus Lupin being escorted down the corridor to the cell. On Scrimgour's left stood the hooded Auror who would be in charge of administering the protocol.

The lycanthrope walked forward with a placid face. He had come to them not in his meanest estate, but dressed in the Roman cassock that signified his training and status in the Collegium Magus. Even with the scars across his face, he projected the very essence of a Scholar. Scrimgeour could hear Umbridge hissing under her breath.

"The nerve of the man! He's wearing his Scholar's robes." Umbridge's distaste for the werewolf couldn't be more apparent. She had expected Lupin to show up in his usual attire which, while always professional, was quite shabby with wear.

"He's not stupid, Madam, and I'm sure he deliberately wore the robes to remind us he's not a mindless creature," said Scrimgeour. Indeed, the Auror could once again see that Remus Lupin had his father's spirit and inherent nobility. There would be no command to strip the man; Lupin would offer his sacrifice of his own accord.

Tonks was glad the hood covered her so well as she blinked away the tears that threatened. Lupin had never looked so handsome for the long garment accentuated his languid stride. Although pale, his features expressed a sense of dignity that would not allow the man at its core to be violated. She wished she could express to him how proud she was of this defiant gesture, but she merely stood immobile.

"Professor Remus Lupin, you remand yourself into the custody of the Ministry of your own free will?" asked Scrimgeour.

"I'm here to serve and I accept my duty," replied Lupin. His gaze fell to the chains on the wall and said, "But I'll need some help getting into those shackles."

Lupin watched as the hooded Auror came to stand by his side and felt relief when he heard Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice. "I don't believe the protocol requires the entire company to be present until after transformation. Unless there's something you want to see, Madam Umbridge?"

The arch comment drew a gasp from the woman, but the smirk on Scrimgeour's face made it evident that he found it amusing. He turned politely and asked, "Madam?"

"We'll be back at midnight to begin the protocol," huffed Umbridge as she walked out haughtily. Scrimgeour followed her, but not before offering an approving nod to the Auror.

Once the corridor was empty, Tonks closed the door to the cell and closed the blinds on the viewing window in it. She then gestured for Lupin to proceed with disrobing. She wasn't surprised when he turned his back to her to begin unbuttoning the cassock. The whisper of the cloth was the only sound in the cell.

"I'm ready." His voice was still calm, although there was a sense of resignation in it.

She knew he didn't like his body revealed, so as she walked to where he stood against the wall, she kept her gaze averted. She lifted the shackles to his wrists, but to buy time, inspected them closely. Under the hood she frowned before saying. "Wait. They forgot to put an extension spell. These will dislocate your shoulders once you begin to transform."

She put a gentle hand on Lupin's shoulder to move him out of the way then called the proper spell for the chains. She moved forward to inspect them again and nodded in satisfaction.

"I'm glad you thought to check for it," said Lupin sincerely as he placed his body against the wall.

"You'll suffer enough from the protocol." The shackles clicked into place.

"I'm sorry to put you through this."

Lupin felt the hand lightly slap the side of his face. He looked into the dark eyes, but rather than sense a masculine presence, there was something definitely feminine and familiar.

As the mask of chain mail was placed around his face just before the light of the full moon hit the cell, Lupin caught the scent as the Auror lifted the mask. As the transformation took him, he had one last coherent thought. Tonks was at his side.

She watched without emotion as the changes took place. She could see that even after all these years, he still fought the Wolf. But as the last shudder racked his body, amber eyes peered at her with a hungry gaze. The Wolf would be a magnificent specimen for torture.

- - - - - - - - - -

The Wolf understood pain and the desire to inflict it. He lunged at the wizard and witch when they entered and managed to appear threatening even with the muzzle on his snout. The chains snapped to full extension. He howled in frustration until he felt his shoulder being stroked.

The Wolf turned with a low growl to the closer target with his amber eyes flaming, but the Hooded one emitted a low whimper that would be undetectable by human ears. The Wolf was silent until it smelled the blood from the cut. He tried to raise his limb to lick it, but the chains prevented movement, so again he howled his frustration.

But the hand moved over the wound to seal it, leaving only a scar, again emitting a low comforting whimper. This pattern continued for the next five hours.

"That completes the protocol," said Tonks with Shacklebolt's deep voice. Her back was turned to Scrimgeour and Umbridge.

She still held the blade in her hand that she had used for the incisions. It took a measure of control not to inflict the same pain on them as she had on the Wolf who now hung exhausted before her. She had managed to calm the Wolf sufficiently so that her mark was true and resulted in limited damage, but the creature struggled before and after each wound. No, not a creature; this was Remus Lupin.

"Madam, we've seen no evidence of toxic effects from the silver blades," said Scrimgeour. "We've only added to his scars."

"Nonsense, the werewolf form is a superhuman creature. We need to test him when he's at his weakest," insisted Umbridge. "I'm exhausted, too, Scrimgeour, but we have a duty to attend to."

Scrimgeour turned to the hooded Auror and said, "Get him out of the shackles and place him on the table once he transforms."

Umbridge immediately protested, "That's a waste of time. We can--"

"Treat him like a human being," said Scrimgeour. "Or as much as the protocol allows. See to it. We'll be back at eight."

As the two walked out, Tonks felt a gleam of satisfaction when the Wolf growled low in his throat and sent the witch scurrying out the door faster.

Tonks closed the door to the cell and secured its window as she waited for the transformation. When it was over, Lupin's body hung limply as he fell into unconsciousness. She blinked back the tears as she saw the newest scars on his body; she couldn't afford to lose control now. He needed her to stand by his side, even as she inflicted the pain.

She called the table forward so it would catch him then placed her arm around his shoulders as she called the release of the shackles. For a moment she let the deep voice slide into her own. "It's all right, Remus, I'm with you. I'll take care of you."

Tonks laid him carefully on the table and covered his body against the cold room. With a sigh she let her disguise fall away, then she pulled up a stool and removed the hood to reveal the pink hair she preferred. She put her wand at Lupin's heart and lay across his chest as she sang in a gentle voice. For a moment, she let her eyes shut and drift into slumber as some of her energy flowed into his body. That was all she could offer him now.

- - - - - - - - - -

The stinging pain in various parts of his body woke him up, but his eyes fluttered open in silence. Strange. He also felt a weight on his chest and as he peered down, verified the reality of it. Odd. Pink hair? It would have to be, "Nymphadora?"

His voice was weak, but Tonks sat up with a jerk. She put her hand on his forehead and said, "Sshh, don't talk, and don't you dare go all modest on me now."

Lupin blinked as he realized he was only covered by a sheet. He closed his eyes and groaned. Perfect. Well, at least Tonks understood why he was dangerous. And there was no way the sight of his mangled body would work to sustain her crush on him.

He released a long breath and just shook his head. "Kingsley?"

"He was afraid he couldn't heal you as well as I could--and he was right," said Tonks as she sat up. "But I can't do this next protocol without you knowing that--that I'm the one responsible, that I'm the one hurting you like this."

Tonks looked away, but Lupin reached up to touch her cheek His voice was as hoarse as it had ever been as he said, "So sorry."

"Dammit, Remus! You're not the one who needs to be apologizing or comforting me," said Tonks, but she brought her hands up to cup his.

"When again?"

Tonks checked her watch and sighed. "One hour. I better get back to being Kingsley."

She made the change quickly, donned the hood, then got up to bring Lupin a glass of water. As she propped him up to drink it, she said, "I'd offer you more, but it's best we wait until this next step is over. I just wish there were a way to convince them--"

"Heart puncture," murmured Lupin when he finished swallowing.

Tonks looked at him in alarm as she brought the cup away from him. "You're mental."

"Sirius said," here Lupin paused to catch his breath, "same thing."

"Remus, that's not even in the protocol," admonished Tonks as she lay him back.

"Extreme measures, extreme situations," replied Lupin with each word coming out as a sigh. He closed his eyes knowing he didn't have the energy to explain.

"A heart puncture would ensure the silver contamination would be flushed through your body as the blood was pumped. Yes, I understand your reasons, but it's risky."

He just murmured as he clutched her hand, "Lyonesse lives."

"Lyonesse lives?" echoed Tonks. Then she understood. His bloodline was of Lyonesse, the Old Kingdom that had fallen into the sea. "It's not just a legend? Your bloodline carries an enhanced ability to heal?"

"Yes."

Still, she shook her head, but then Lupin grabbed her hand and managed to whisper, "Trust each other, have faith."

It was ironic that such a clumsy woman was charged with this duty, but her movements had always been sure when it came to healing. She just prayed that remained true.

"Do you have to be awake to focus on the healing?" asked Tonks. "I wanted to keep you asleep for the next part."

"Sleep," agreed Lupin as he took a deep breath. He focused on his mantra as he felt the sleeping spell take him. _Lyonesse lives._

- - - - - - - - - -

Srimgeour and Umbridge entered the cell again only to find Lupin's still form on the table.

"He's still unconscious?" asked Srimgeour even as he bent over Lupin.

The hooded Auror merely nodded.

"We can give him a pepper-up potion--" began Umbridge.

"Why?" asked Scrimgeour dryly.

"Why? So Lupin will be awake, of course."

"There's no need for him to be awake for these procedures. His body is exhausted from the screening last night as well as the transformation. We can finish this quickly now."

Tonks held her breath while Umbridge cleared her throat several times. There was no reason for Lupin to be awake unless one wanted to hear the man scream in pain.

"Fine, then, let's proceed. Repeat the protocol exactly." Umbridge stood primly with her hands folded in front of her.

The hooded Auror bowed to wizard and witch before beginning the task. She made the first two cutaneous cuts. Again, there was no sign of poisoning, although the wounds would clearly leave more scars. But just as the third cut was going to be made, Shacklebolt's deep voice filled the cell.

"Madam, what would it take to convince you that silver will not poison werewolves?" The hooded figure picked up a stilleto and looked directly at Umbridge. "A stab to a vital organ, perhaps?"

Umbridge looked up brightly and her toadlike smile filled her face. "What an excellent suggestion."

Scrimgeour immediately began a protest, but Tonks ignored him and continued in seeming eagerness. "What will it be, Madam? His liver? His lungs? What about his heart?"

And with those words, she made a quick puncture. The loud gasps filled the room at the unexpected maneuver. But the wound healed quickly as the hand moved over to seal the puncture. "Directly into his left ventricle, the blood should be pumping through his body now."

Tonks held her breath and swore she could hear each beat of Lupin's heart. Lyonesse lives, Lyonesse lives... She kept chanting the phrase to herself as a prayer that his bloodline would hold true. But she had made a decision to end this and if it came to it, she'd rather kill him quickly than slowly.

They watched as Lupin's breathing remained steady, his pale skin remaining without any evidence of poisoning.

"How long do you want me to monitor him?" asked Tonks after several minutes had passed.

Scrimgeour turned to Umbridge as he spoke. "The screening has ended. I find no evidence of silver being able to poison a werewolf."

Umbridge scanned the body on the table one last time in hopes of finding some sign, but finally admitted, "I concur."

Scrimgeour turned to the hooded Auror. "Release Professor Lupin when he wakes. See that he has an escort to his home."

"His research assistant is supposed to come for him when he's released," replied the Auror.

Scrimgeour nodded and practically pushed Umbridge out of the cell. Tonks closed the door and sank to the floor in relief.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

Lupin heard the murmur of voices, a familiar bark and a snarl? He vaguely remembered dressing and waiting for "Bambi" to retrieve him. Bambi was, of course, Tonks in her curly haired nitwit guise, but he had no energy to protest.

He was lying in a bed with his eyes closed and as he turned his head, he felt a wet tongue lick his nose. "Go way, Snuffles, need sleep."

Assuming he was in his room at Grimmauld Place, he turned away from the black dog only to feel his nose again being touched, but this time by another wet nose. His eyes fluttered opened to find a white furball twitching his whiskers and perking his ears.

It was a strain to speak, but his hoarse voice came out saying, "Why is Wimples in my room?"

"You're at my place," called the feminine voice. Tonks had just entered her bedroom carrying a mug. "Here, Molly sent some broth with Mad-Eye--"

"Mad-eye's here too?" Lupin closed his eyes. "Can't a man have some peace after being used as a pincushion?"

"It's good to see your humor is intact," said Sirius as he transformed from the black dog to the human. He stood at the the head of the bed to let Tonks through with the broth.

"Moody just delivered the broth and confirmation that the results of the silver screening were entered into record," explained Tonks. She was back in her pink hair and even wore her pajamas with the racing brooms on them. "The experiment was unsuccessful for the Ministry, but quite a triumph for lycanthropes."

"And wouldn't have been possible without your help," added Lupin. His Wolf would have been too agitated to hold still for anyone but Tonks, he was now certain. Her healing powers were an added bonus and had ensured his surviving the night. "You're a fine healer, Tonks."

"That's my little cousin," said Sirius as he grabbed Tonks and rubbed her hair. "I didn't realize you'd had any training."

"Stop, you're sloshing the broth," complained Tonks with a blush. She explained when he released her. "I passed my HIPPOs but failed the oral exam for my HENS during second year of Healer training. I helped my mum in her flower shop until I got my confidence back and tried for Auror training."

"Healing is a skill that will never leave you, Tonks," assured Sirius as he helped prop Lupin on the pillows.

"You. You shouldn't be here," said Lupin as he managed to point a finger at Sirius.

Sirius put a hand over his heart and said, "I feel duly chastised, but I had to see for myself you were all right. It was easiest for Tonks to bring you to her flat, Moony. One can't apparate directly into Order headquarters."

Lupin couldn't even acknowledge this with a nod before Tonks had the mug to his lips and was tipping it back so he could drink. He didn't realize how thirsty he was until the liquid hit the back of his throat.

"So drink up and get well. Dumbledore intends to send you out to help Hagrid get back to Hogwarts with a special, er, package once you recover." Sirius spoke as he walked to the bedroom door. The night would provide good cover for him to return to Grimmauld Place.

"I can't impose on Tonks," murmured Lupin before Tonks tilted his head back for another long sip.

"Yes, you can. Everything is on one level here; you'd be stressing the wounds walking up and down at number twelve. And don't give me that look. I'll be a good boy and stay at the grim old place."

Snuffles immediately appeared, emitted a bark that made Wimples jump, and trotted away. Tonks followed him to open the front door, but was soon back. In the meantime, Wimples settled on Lupin's feet and closed his eyes.

As Tonks entered the bedroom again, Lupin let his gaze travel down her form. Although she wasn't in a fancy party dress with her hair in feminine waves, she was a beautiful sight to his eyes.

She moved to lie beside him on top of the bedcovers as he snuggled into their warmth. She wrapped an arm around him and said, "Get some more rest, Remus. I'll be here."

His eyes closed again as he found comfort in the warm body against his back.

- - - - - - - - -

Tonks woke up to find Lupin nuzzling her ear. The morning light was filling the room, so she turned her face to his to wake him, but found his eyes were open and staring at her.

His hand touched her chin and leaned forward to kiss her softly. She moaned in pleasure and he moaned in pain.

Pulling back with a wince, he said, "This isn't a dream, is it?"

Tonks sighed in disappointment. "No, it's all real. Where does it hurt?"

She sat up and began unbuttoning his shirt, but his hand landed on hers as he said, "Don't."

"Remus, it's a bit too late for modesty. I've seen you; I gave you all those new scars."

"But I hurt you a lot worse."

Tonks tried to fight the tears. She had been quite proud of the professional way she had handled everything that had been demanded of her. Yet here in her own room, there were no cues for the emotional barriers.

He held her and stroked her hair gently. As he touched her he realized why Sirius had called him mental. He wasn't in lust with a female friend. He was in love with Nymphadora Tonks. He closed his eyes wishing things could be different.

"I'm sorry, Nymphadora."

Tonks blew her nose loudly as she recovered. Perfect. Red eyes, runny nose, just what any man dreams of. "Quit apologizing."

She swatted at his shoulder, then moaned, "Oh, no, now I'm hurting you again."

"Tonks, don't fret, it's all right." Lupin wrapped his arms around her and just rocked her for a moment. The movement offered no pain this time, just warmth. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Well, I have a few ideas," offered Tonks, "but you seem to think you're all wrong for me."

"And I am, Tonks," he insisted, although his arms tightened around her.

"Prove it then," she said as she pulled back to look into his eyes. "Go out with me and prove it."

Lupin blinked at this idea. "We can't go out."

"Then you can't prove that you're the wrong man for me, can you?" Tonks sat up in bed as she gained momentum for her argument.

"I--I," Lupin was at a loss for a moment, but then had a brilliant counterpoint. "I can't even afford to take you to dinner."

"You promised to let me ride the skiff that takes you to Wolf Rock. I assumed you'd cook dinner, too," reminded Tonks as she referred to his lighthouse. "That works for me."

Lupin looked up at the ceiling. She had a point; it wouldn't cost him anything but time to take her--What was he thinking? "A date should be romantic. How--"

"Hm, stargazing in an enchanted lighthouse. I think I've read a poem about that," said Tonks. "It's more romantic than being bought a piece of meat to eat as a token of affection."

Lupin had to smile at her logic, but he had to make her see that she had a world of opportunity out there for her. "All right, I'll keep my promise and take you to Wolf Rock, but you have to do something for me first."

"What?" asked Tonks suspiciously. She couldn't believe he'd surrender so easily.

"The lighthouse will have to wait until I get back with Hagrid."

"I can be patient," asserted Tonks.

"That's not the bargain. I'll take you to Wolf Rock when I get back, but you have to promise me you'll have a comparison."

"A comparison?"

"Three dates with a suitable young man, Tonks. I'm sure Bill has other friends he could introduce to you," said Lupin. He felt his heart lurching as he set his conditions. Surely while he was gone, Tonks would find a man who would capture her heart.

Tonks took a deep breath. Now was not the time for tantrums, it was time for compromise. If her feelings for Lupin were a passing fancy, then they were both better off for finding out. Somehow she knew what the outcome would be, though. "Three dates, but not necessarily with the same man."

"But how can--"

Tonks shrugged, "I've never been on a second date, Remus."

"All right, three dates."

They shook hands on the bargain, each confident that their outcome would be favored. But then Tonks said, "But for now, I'm off duty today and need to catch up on my sleep."

Lupin didn't protest when she again snuggled against him. He just stored the feeling in his heart.

_End of Chapter_

Minor edits.

Author Notes:  
Kissage! See, I am merely a slave to your demands. It was time to insert this episode and it was tricky to write. I didn't feel right about splitting up the story because it left too many things hanging, so I waited until I had the full arc completed. Also, I tried to give just enough hints of what Lupin had to endure without getting too graphic. I hope I succeeded in leaving you with a smile at the end of a grim story.

Umbridge, the witch we love to hate. Scrimgeour has his good points, although he is a Ministry man.

Tonks had to mature a bit more, although I never saw her as this immature brat often painted by others. Here she had to deal with the consequences of being an Auror, maintaining loyalty to the Order, and stepping up to a task that she would rather pass by.

Lupin also had to open his eyes. He had relegated Tonks to a fantasy and tried to keep the real Tonks, his friend, too separated from the water nymph. Now he has to deal with the real woman.

According to various sites, English has 44 phonemes. I just liked the image. Profundo is not canon. There is no reference to a D&D section at the Ministry of Magic, but the connotation with Dungeons and Dragons is obvious.

Tonks' healing abilities. In HBP, she fixes Harry's nose with proficiency. While I see this as part of Auror training, I used that as the point for expanding her healing abilities. I have no idea what HENs and HIPPOs stand for (they aren't canon), but I'm sure I'll work that out if I ever need to.

Emmeline Vance as an artist is not canon, but she told me quite clearly that she indeed paints, sketches and even does a bit of sculpting. This is my way of thanking the artists who post HP fanart for I've seen some wonderful series for Marauders and Lupin/Tonks. Also it gave me a chance to show you that Sirius and Emmeline are trying a different tactic in their relationship and why such a witch is valuable to the Order.

Thanks for reading and reviews. Hope to update within the next 10 days. Thanks for waiting patiently and for enduring a long story. I hope you found it worth your time.


	11. The Dating Game

Summary: Tonks must survive three dates with other men so that she can get her first date with Remus.

**Nymph vs Wolf**

_**Dating Game**_

_First Date_

Nymphadora Tonks was sprawled on her bed lying on her stomach with her legs crossed behind her. She was grimacing at the parchment unrolled in front of her as she propped herself on her elbows. Wimples kept nudging the scroll with his nose, but she ignored his antics.

Tonks was too absorbed in considering her motives for writing the letter. She was still trying to figure out how to tell Remus Lupin about her date. Perhaps she shouldn't write to him at all? She could just wait until he completed his mission of helping Hagrid return to Hogwarts.

Tonks rolled over on her back and stared at her ceiling while Wimples began nibbling along the edges of the scroll. She thought about the Professor and their odd bargain. Lupin was likely to be disappointed by her news, but it was best he have an inkling of what he would find when he got home.

She knew better than to compromise Lupin's mission, but Barnabus, the Owl she would use for messages, was a crafty flier. Further, even if it were intercepted, her letter could only be read if the proper spell were chanted by the recipient. Tonks rolled over with determination, used her wand to suspend the parchment stiffly before her and began her letter.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_The Continent_

It had been a long and tiring day, but while Lupin walked away from the woods, he felt satisfied with his mission. They were finally making steady progress to get Hagrid--and his half-brother--out of the European Continent and back to Hogwarts. The pouring rain had made for dismal traveling today, so Lupin had decided to indulge in his success.

Tonight he would seek the comfort of a real bed after spending the past five communing with nature. Camping was for young men and giants, he thought. Although the funds for the mission were meager, ill health would not help Hagrid get back to Hogwarts. Lupin's talents were instrumental to concealing the giant as they made their way home.

Lupin walked into the village in the late afternoon, but just before he reached the inn, a small Lilford's owl swooped down to him and dropped a scroll. The Professor caught it deftly and felt that his heart seemed to stop beating; he had recognized the owl as Barnabus, the owl Tonks preferred. He forced a deep breath and proceeded with his plans to obtain a room.

The owl would be his guest for the night and Barnabus made a rather cheery companion as he nibbled on Lupin's offerings with gusto. The Professor finished his supper and was settling into bed for the night, but the scroll on the nightstand could not be ignored further.

Two weeks. He had only been gone two weeks and Tonks had been able to move on in that time. He had been foolish to entertain the idea that the young witch would really want to be with him. Had she not seen his maimed body? But the scars he carried from her knife would be a precious reminder of the Auror for the rest of his life. The scars would be all he'd have left of her.

He opened the scroll with a heavy heart, but determined to see for himself the sort of man that could make Tonks happy. He removed the ribbon to find that the note was addressed to the Professor from Bambi, Research Assistant, and smiled at the subterfuge. He also noticed several notches along the edges of the scroll and recognized the indentations of a certain set of incisors.

In spite of his apprehension, he forced himself to read.

_Dear Professor,_

_I am writing to keep you updated on that research project we discussed before _

_your departure..._

At this point the note rambled on rather generically about observations and measurements. Lupin chanted the spell that would reveal the real message to him and watched as the first sentences unrolled across the page. He read with interest.

_Dear Remus,_

_You should be pleased to know that Bill provided another opportunity for a _

_double-date. This time it was a Gala honoring the International Association _

_of Quidditch. Imagine my surprise when Bill tells me that my escort for the _

_evening would be Otto Steinhauer. _

_Yes, THAT Otto Steinhauer, the very same Beater from the Heidelberg Harriers, _

_the current champions. The team described as fiercer than a dragon and twice _

_as clever. Apparently Bill met Otto on one of his curse-breaking adventures and_

_they formed a fast friendship. Anyway, be patient while I tell my story because _

_it does end with forthcoming nuptials._

Lupin quit reading, lifted his head and simply stared at the wall for several moments. Young, strong, intelligent. A man with a prosperous career, a man who was cursed with talent and good luck, not lycanthropy. Steinhauer was perfect for his Tonks. Perhaps she'd remember to invite him to the wedding? He sighed and forced his eyes back to the page.

_Once again Fleur helped me prepare for the evening, although I counter-acted_

_her spell to spike my heels again. I did take her advice to do my hair in blonde _

_curls and to wear the dress Mum had bought me to attend the St. Mungo's _

_Charity Ball back when I was training to be a Healer. I never wore the dress _

_because the bloke stood me up when the girl he really wanted to take became_

_available. I've sketched the gown on the side, but I'm rambling. _

Lupin took a moment to look at her quick sketch and his imagination had no trouble conjuring an image of how lovely Tonks must have looked in the red evening gown. What man wouldn't be enchanted with her? He rubbed at the sketch with his thumb thinking that he would never again be able to touch her. Still, he forced himself to get back to the letter.

_Back to my date. Otto Steinhauer is every bit as handsome and charismatic in_

_real life as he is in Witch Weekly. His German accent is light and rather attractive,_

_but it makes it difficult to drop a pun and expect him to pick up on it. Hm, maybe _

_I should have taken that as a sign? But see, people kept asking for his autograph, _

_so of course I was thinking Otto-graph, and, well, I suspect I really did give the _

_image of a giggling blonde, come to think of it._

Here Lupin stopped again as he felt his heart racing. It would never do to saddle Tonks with a man who couldn't understand her puns. He felt himself frowning in annoyance at this Otto man, who now resembled a foot stool in his mind.

"Tonks, get out of my head," Lupin murmured. But of course, if he were to finish the letter, that would be impossible and Barnabus opened his eyes and hooted at him as if the idea was quite preposterous. So Lupin pushed aside the image of Wimples hopping on an ottoman and continued.

_The Gala went well and Otto was quite entertaining with his Quidditch stories. _

_And in spite of all the feminine attention he was receiving, he was steadfast about _

_remaining with our little group. I was actually enjoying myself, so at the end of _

_the evening, Otto asks me if I'd like to take a ride on his broomstick._

_Of course I said yes! I mean, who wouldn't want to swoop around on a professional_

_Quidditch broom? So we get to his room and I see the broomstick in the corner, so _

_I'm leaning over to touch it and, well..._

_Imagine my disappointment when I realized that wasn't the broom he was referring_

_to riding. _

_Imagine my fury when he tries to paw me and thinks I'm just playing when I say NO! _

_Now imagine where I shoved his broomstick._

_I would advise that you place bets against the Heidelberg Harriers until their star_

_Beater recovers his ability to ride a broom._

_Honestly, Remus, I tried. Please don't be disappointed. I'm just not a very good girl. _

_Bill later told me that he'd forgotten to mention that I was an Auror to Otto. I suppose_

_I was sending the wrong signals, what with the constant giggling, but that's in the past_

_now. The good news is the wedding! Apparently endangering his manhood made _

_Otto rethink his recent escapades and decide it was time to settle down. _

_Otto proposed to his long suffering childhood sweetheart, Gretchen Bauer. She sent _

_me a thank you note for dealing the blow to his manhood and even invited me to the _

_wedding! Although maybe she's just using my presence there as a threat to make sure_

_Otto gets to the altar. Hm, I'm game! _

_So that's my story. Um, I know you can't really write back, but I do worry about you. _

_I hope all is well._

_Yours,_

_Tonks_

_PS The little notches on the edges are Wimples way of saying hello, I think._

Lupin sat back against the headboard of the bed and absently rolled the scroll. His heart felt light and although he wanted Tonks to find a suitable man, he told himself that she still had two more dates to go. It was good that she was being selective. That was why he was smiling as he snuggled into the bedcovers and fell asleep, even as the memory of Tonks holding him brought him comfort.

But with sleep also came an odd dream.

_He was walking in a garden that was familiar from a childhood memory. It was at the City Park in New Orleans, he realized, but he had been six years old when he had visited. Still, everything seemed out of proportion, but soon he realized that he was the one who had shrunk. Suddenly a noise alerted him to the presence of another behind him. He pulled out his wand as he turned, but realized that instead he carried the scroll that contained Tonks' letter. But the next surprise was the new intruder._

_There before him sat Wimples, a Lupin-sized vorpal bunny. But the were-rabbit did not snarl at Lupin, he merely twitched his nose and began speaking with a Romanian accent that vaguely reminded Lupin of Andrei Codrescu, a Muggle poet he had once heard._

"_There you are, Wretched Wolf. So, you've read the letter? It is an odd courtship ritual to send your doe out to look for other bucks. And if you are so willing to share your mate, then why can't you share your apples? I insist that you make the Pink One release the fruits to me instead of sitting there glumly nibbling on the apple without tasting it. What a waste."_

_With those words of chastisement, Wimples hopped off._

Lupin sat up in his bed and blinked his eyes. It was almost dawn and he had to rendezvous with Hagrid, but the dream had left him with a strong craving for apples. He jotted off a quick note to Tonks, however, and sent Barnabus on his way.

_Dear Bambi,_

_This is just a quick note to encourage your efforts on the project. I have confidence _

_in your ability to succeed. I am glad that you suffered no ill effects during your first _

_test. Hopefully things will go smoothly next time. Don't fret over me. I am making _

_some progress, but it goes slowly. _

_Best regards,_

_The Professor_

_PS. Don't let the little faker get at my apples. _

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Second Date_

Nymphadora Tonks collapsed on her floor and moaned. Wimples hopped to her cautiously and nudged her forehead with his nose.

"Wimples," she began harshly, but the vorpal bunny scurried away rather than face the consequences. Tonks just closed her eyes and sighed. But soon, she heard the patter of furry feet, then felt the edge of a rolled parchment tapping her shoulder.

Tonks rolled over to find that Wimples had brought a parchment and quill to her. He looked up at her now with wide eyes, drooping ears, and a slight quiver. The pink-haired witch smiled warmly at her pet and stroked his soft fur.

"Right, then, I suppose I should write to Remus." She began her letter as Wimples settled against her as she sat up to write the letter.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_The Continent_

Another two weeks had passed and Lupin was still on the road with Hagrid and his brother. On this night, a night before the full moon, the Professor and the Gatekeeper had found an abandoned warehouse in an isolated area. It would provide shelter for the men and the giant, although Lupin decided to sleep on the platform at the top of the stairs. The window would allow him surveillance of the area while he took the first watch.

As he looked out onto the waxing moon, he saw an owl, Barnabus in fact, heading for him. His heart literally jumped at the thought that Tonks had sent another missive--until he considered the implications. Still, any message from the young witch would be worth reading. He could rejoice in her happiness if she had found the 'right' man, he told himself.

He caught the scroll deftly, used his wand for a light, and called the spell so that he could read the real letter this time with Barnabus perched on his shoulder.

_Dear Remus,_

_I hope this letter finds you somewhere safe and warm. I do worry about you with the _

_full moon coming up. Do you have a secure place for the night? Do you have enough_

_Wolfsbane? Do you ever get any apples? Or chocolate? Since I can't send you anything_

_of the sort, accept my imaginary gift._

Lupin followed the arrows to the quick sketches of a chocolate frog that she had set to leaping in place and a bright, red apple on the edge of the parchment.. Tonks had added a gleaming luster to the fruit--and apparently Wimples had taken a bite out of the scroll judging from the nibbled edge. He smiled at her thoughtfulness, but that was his Tonks. She was a very giving and caring person; surely some young man would see this? His eyes went back to the letter.

_I suppose you've already guessed that I was on another date? Yes, this time Bill_

_and Fleur represented Gringott's at a Tea party honoring the Best Smiles of Witch _

_Weekly, so again they needed decoy dates. I saw Otto Steinhauer with his fianc__é__; they_

_make a very lovely couple. I assured Gretchen that I'd be at the wedding. She looked_

_pleased and Otto looked pale._

_The only honoree who couldn't be present at the Tea was Gilderoy Lockhart. _

_I actually met him once when I was in Healer training. Had to get rid of a _

_hangnail, but you'd think I was ripping out his liver or something from the _

_way he carried on._

_Um, back to my date. I think Fleur takes a special pleasure in torturing me _

_in preparing for these outings. She brought over a dress with a corsetted midriff _

_that she insisted I wear. She kept telling me it emphasized my waist and flattered _

_by hips, but I just wanted to know how to breathe in these things. At least the French_

_braid was pretty (and she let me keep my hair pink!). I've tried to draw it--and yes,_

_I did feel like I was having the breath squeezed out of me._

Once again Tonks had drawn an image of herself with a waspish waist and, indeed, her expression did look rather pinched. But she had also drawn the back view of the French braid, so the Professor could imagine how pretty she had looked. And he could imagine how the chignon would lay against her exposed neck and how his lips would feel pressing against her--

"Lupin, she's not for you, now read!" he admonished himself. Then he had to apologize to Barnabus for his outburst as the little owl fluttered off his shoulder, only to settle again when placated.

_Now to the particulars. My date for the afternoon was Feldmus Droll. You'll _

_probably recognize the name from his humorous articles in Witch Weekly. Not _

_only that, but WW has also recognized him twice for most charming smile. He's _

_almost as tall as you are and was very attentive throughout the party. _

Lupin lifted his eyes from the letter and looked out into the cold night. Of course, the perfect man for Tonks had to have a sense of humor. Droll was young, had a promising career, and instead of being dangerous, was blessed with an ability to make people smile. Tonks would have a wonderful life with the man. He felt himself blinking but took a deep breath to get the details.

_Droll certainly lives up to his name. In fact, his jests are unstoppable. Honestly. _

_There's no way to get the man to shut it! You know, I think even my Dad would _

_muffle him. And I thought I was bad about reading puns into things. _

_Listen to this one. What do you call a starving parrot? A polynomial. Now imagine_

_having to explain to Fleur why it was supposed to be funny. She kept asking what _

_parrots had to do with Arithmancy. Then I had to mention that it was a featherbrained _

_joke which made Feldmus go into all sorts of fowl jokes that were pretty, uh, foul._

_Argh! _

_At one point I was beginning to feel faint from how tight the dress was. I swayed a _

_bit before I could cast a quick unbinding spell, but managed to bump into Fleur who, _

_to Bill's delight, tripped and sprained her ankle. I say to his delight because he got _

_all macho and carried her off in his arms. The fool could have let me heal her, but no. _

_Men! Of course, Fleur wasn't protesting nor did she appear to be in much pain._

_I could breathe a little easier, so Feldmus escorts me back to my flat and, before you_

_get the wrong idea, he was a perfect gentleman. In fact, he seemed to be sobering up_

_a bit (wonder if he has mood swings?) when he was saying good-bye. So, I invited _

_him in for a cup of tea._

Lupin felt his heart lurching, but he told himself that this was exactly what he had been hoping for. Tonks had finally found a suitable man. Granted, he wasn't perfect, but with time, Droll would learn how to deal with Tonks' serious side. He went back to the letter.

_All would have been fine except for the top hat being in the middle of my entry hall. _

_So there I am, walking into my flat when I see Wimples poking his ears out of the top_

_hat. I got out my wand to immobilize him (you remember how he was with _

_what's-his-name? the witless vegetable?), but this time Wimples just poked his head _

_out and twitched his nose. _

_I was so pleased by Wimples' mature behavior! But then it happened. Feldmus reached_

_out to pet Wimples and cooed, "What have we here? Ickle Wabbit FuFu? Or Little _

_Bunny Foo Foo?"_

_I heard a snarl and then saw a streak of white fur. I didn't know Wimples could leap _

_so high! The next thing I know Feldmus is running around like a chicken with arms_

_flapping, wearing Wimples like some bizarre toupee and screaming, "Geroff me! _

_Geroff me!"_

_Were-rabbits obviously have an aversion to being called Little Bunny FooFoos. _

_It was just too funny but I could only clutch at my sides because I could barely even_

_breathe with that damn corset in my dress. It hurt to laugh. Luckily Wimples was _

_satisfied to just sortof bop Feldmus' head with his back leg. Made a rather hollow _

_sound, like a drum. I finally get a bead on Wimples, but he leaps off into my bedroom _

_when he finally noticed I left my certain drawer open again. _

_Feldmus didn't even bother saying good-bye, he just ran out the door. I felt compelled _

_to call, "Hare today, goon tomorrow!" I don't think Feldmus appreciated my comment._

_So you can see that I am trying, right? Right. I hope you appreciate the torture I'm_

_putting myself through on your account! Just imagine my relief when I was finally able_

_to take off the corset!_

Lupin shook his head as a vivid image crept into his mind as he read her words. He bit back the smile and sighed, then finished the letter.

_Thanks for letting me know you're all right. You can't imagine how much it meant _

_to me to read even a short note from you. And after Wimples' last escapade, I'm _

_definitely not giving him any apples. Other than the one I drew on the letter that he _

_managed to nibble. _

_Yours,_

_Tonks_

Lupin let the scroll roll up and pet Barnabus absently before the little owl hopped off to attack the leftovers of Lupin's meal. In the meantime, the Professor looked up to the starry night as the wind whistled through the trees. He felt himself smiling in spite of the cold as the warmth that suffused his heart seemed to spread over his body while he kept watch. When his time as sentinel was over and he was wrapped in his bedroll, his mind easily found sleep. Again, he had a visitor.

_Lupin was walking in the City Park again, but this time he knew what to expect. Or he thought he did. As he turned a corner, he saw a a meadow before him with Wimples busy at work. The vorpal bunny was pouncing on field mice and bopped them on the head before letting them stumble away. Lupin said nothing, but waited patiently for Wimples to speak._

"_There you are, Wretched Wolf." Here Wimples stopped to bop another field mouse. "This should be you. I know you are keeping the Pink One from giving me apples. You are an ungrateful schmuck."_

Lupin woke up and rubbed his eyes. He was not surprised at the dream, but he decided to write a quick note to Tonks before he felt more tired. The full moon would be tonight and he didn't want her to worry. He wouldn't tell her about the new scars on his arms or how close McNair had gotten to finding Hagrid. Nor would he mention the delay in their return was due in great part to dodging a party of Death Eaters who were out 'hunting.' Again, his note was brief.

_Dear Bambi,_

_Thank you for the update on the project. Be patient, these things take time and it looks_

_like it will be a while before we can consult on the results. I am well prepared to handle_

_the night, so don't worry. And I've decided that perhaps Wimples does deserve an apple_

_--but just one--to ease his time tonight._

_Best Regards,_

_The Professor_

Lupin watched Barnabus fly away with a wistful smile.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Third Date_

Tonks was quite excited as she spread out the parchment before her to begin her letter. She took a big bite from the apple first, but as she held it away from her, Wimples made a calculating leap and nabbed it cleanly with his mouth. He was about to hop away when he found himself suspended in air, his ears almost twirling around him like a helicopter.

"Not so fast," said Tonks as she admonished her pet. "You should have asked first."

Wimples gave her his best innocent gaze, considering the apple jammed in his mouth. He blinked his eyes and drooped his ears for added effect.

"I suppose you did have to put up with being called a jack rabbit," murmured Tonks, "but that's no excuse for bad manners."

The vorpal bunny managed to nod his head, so Tonks released him. He landed with a soft plop and sat by her to nibble on the apple as she wrote her letter.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_The Continent_

Remus Lupin breathed in the air and felt relief. He could smell the sea and it was a comforting odor. Soon they would be home. It had been a quiet two weeks since the full moon so they had managed to make good progress. His spirits were already light when Barnabus found him, but as he held the scroll in his hand, he felt a sense of foreboding. He had been hoping to make it home before Tonks found a third date, but that was not to be. As soon as he had made arrangements for transporting Hagrid and his brother, he went to his cabin on the boat and opened the letter while Barnabus nibbled on his meal.

_Dear Remus,_

_You won't believe the golden opportunity that came my way. Yes, it was another _

_double-date with Bill and Fleur when they represented Gringott's at the CISSI Ball _

_(Cauldron International Standards & Stamps, Incorporated. Why they throw a ball _

_is beyond me, but it's one of the social events of the fall)._

_This time Fleur's instrument of torture was neither spiked heels nor a corsetted dress._

_No, this time she quite outdid herself by insisting we had to wear these ball gowns with_

_layers of poofy skirts. Honestly, the diameter of my skirt (and yes, I did measure it) was_

_one meter! They had these hoops that were, well, let's just say I knew I was going to be _

_doing a lot of standing. Wimples kept sneaking under the outer skirt to nest in the material_

_in sort of a sling, so I kept having to toss him out. This is what it looked like._

Lupin followed the arrow to find the figure of Tonks looking like the handle on a bell. Beside it she had written the word ding-a-ling. He smiled at this and continued reading.

_So the witches all looked like topsy-turvy flowers while the wizards all looked like_

_penguins. But my date for the night didn't fit the mold. No, my date was dressed in _

_cowboy boots, a Stetson hat, and wore this huge silver belt buckle. _

_So you must be asking yourself, "Where did Bill find this bloke?"_

_Actually, Bill didn't have to find me a date this time. I did it all on my own. (That was _

_the sound of my tongue sticking out at you. Didn't think I would do it, did you?) _

_Actually, Mum owled me when Shane Paladin showed up at her flower shop. He's a_

_scholar from America who's on sabbatical from the Jackalopes School of Magery and_

_Mysticism at Roswell, New Mexico, I think. He remembered that Andromeda Tonks had _

_a daughter who was a metamorphmagus, but since my parents kept my name out of the_

_announcement, he didn't know who to look up. And I know you won't believe me, but _

_he's a metamorphmagus! _

Lupin had never been so stunned. Another metamorphmagus? What could be more perfect for Tonks? The man certainly was not poor, he was obviously young and--and a perfect fit for Tonks. His mind searched for the wizard's name and remembered a rather brilliant paper on convincing Muggles that magic was actually alien technology. It was well written and conveyed a lot of personality. His heart filled with dismay, but he put his eyes back on the parchment.

_I must admit that I found Shane to be quite intriguing when I spoke with him at the _

_shop, so I invited him to be my date for the ball the next night. There was something_

_about him that made me feel comfortable from the start. I suppose I thought he was_

_a lot like you, being tall and lanky with brown hair, I mean. He's very intelligent _

_(I bet the two of you would talk for hours!) and had a keen but quiet sense of humor. _

_His Texas accent made his comments at the ball seem rather sardonic. And bless his_

_heart, he didn't want to dance, either, "what with all the ladies looking like they were_

_wearing tumbleweeds." _

_Anyway, it was quite an entertaining evening. Bill and Fleur were enjoying the excuse_

_we provided so they could dance together. I kept thinking that I should have pestered_

_you to teach me to dance on all those nights when we were at my flat._

Here Lupin simply couldn't go on. He regretted a lot of things and now not having taught Tonks to dance would be among them. His arms literally ached to hold her, but it didn't match the pain brought by the thought of finally losing Tonks. And when she left London, Tonks would be permanently out of his life. He closed his eyes for a moment, then continued reading.

_Shane's observations on our foibles had me in stitches as we watched the people, _

_especially his description of the Malfoys as "a pair of bleached-out polecats." I _

_have no idea what it meant until Shane explained that a polecat is a skunk, a catlike _

_creature with scent glands used for defense. _

_We were all enjoying ourselves and had no reason to leave early. It was about two _

_in the morning when we finally left and Shane was walking me home. The moon was_

_bright and although it was cold, the night was quite beautiful. We were walking _

_through the park when he stopped, doffed his hat, and took my hand. Then to my _

_surprise, he asked me to marry him._

_Yes, he proposed to me, clearly and articulately, although his voice seemed a bit _

_hoarse and had assumed a British accent. And I looked at him, really looked at him, _

_and realized why he had seemed so familiar. _

_Shane must have used a heartlock spell on me when we met to find out what sort of _

_man I'd fall for. He'd been reading me all night long, looking for an image and slowly_

_fitting himself into that mold. It wasn't by chance that he had brown hair and stood just_

_under two meters tall. By the time I found my voice to respond, a younger version of you, _

_without scars, was standing in front of me._

Lupin felt the shock of her words wash through him and felt a rage brewing in him. The shape-shifting wizard could offer Tonks everything she wanted--including Remus Lupin! And one who was young and whole!

Lupin felt as if he had been stripped of his identity by the action, but if that's what Tonks wanted, then hadn't he pushed her into this? He hoped they were both well away from London by the time he got back. He couldn't bear the sight of them together, not like that. He managed to recover his breathing so that he could finish reading the letter.

_So I stood there looking at a man who had stolen your face, would steal your very _

_voice, but could not capture your soul. How dare he use his talent like this! I felt so_

_violated by his actions, by the way he had wormed his way into my memory of you to _

_get what he wanted. But he couldn't have realized that your scars are precious to me; _

_that I wouldn't trade your life experience for a fresh young face. My answer was clear_

_and concise. "No."_

_When I made to walk away, I realized how much of a loon he was. He grabbed my _

_hands and insisted that we were meant to be together, that it was our destiny to start a_

_new race of metamorphmages. For Merlin's sake, the last thing I want to do is play Eve_

_to his Adam! I was trying to shake him off and thinking it was all a bad dream, especially_

_when I heard the snarl coming from my skirts. _

_Remember all those skirts I mentioned? Well, apparently, I hadn't gotten rid of Wimples_

_like I thought I had. He'd been riding in one of the outer hoops as a sling all night long._

_Wimples tripped me when he leaped out and that managed to bring both Shane and me _

_down on top of his Stetson hat. I felt something poking me and realized that Shane had _

_slipped his wand down his sleeve and was hiding it behind his hat. _

_In the meantime Shane was mumbling something about a vicious jack rabbit, but Wimples_

_was not amused and latched onto one of the cowboy boots. Shane managed to slip out of_

_it and run away. By this time I have my wand out and froze Wimples. I grabbed Shane's_

_wand, grabbed his crumpled hat and the shredded boot shouting, "Come back, Shane."_

_But Shane just kept running, so I let Wimples finish shredding the boot, tucked the wand_

_into my skirt and tossed the hat into the rubbish bin. As I was taking Wimples home, I _

_kept connecting the dots and coming to a wild conclusion. I checked Shane's wand with _

_priori incantatum. That confirmed the heartlock spell, but as I went further back, I found _

_he'd cast an immobilization spell. So I went to the Auror offices and researched Shane's_

_previous activities during his sabbatical. It was soon clear that he had been in Korea _

_around the time Ayame Sato had disappeared from Japan. She's a twelve year old_

_metamorphmagus who's been missing from Osaka for the past month. It would have been_

_easy for Shane to slip off from Korea to nab her in Japan._

_I caught up with Shane within the hour, returned what was left of his boot, and arrested_

_him for kidnapping. Kingsley was with me and we also had Mad-eye for back up. I found_

_Ayame Sato in his room. He hadn't touched her, thankfully, and now she's safe with her_

_family. And I've gained a pen pal! Now I'll have to get Dad to teach me Japanese. _

_Well, I suppose that was quite a story, so I'll sum it up: YOU OWE ME A DATE!_

_I intend to collect as soon as you get back--and I hope that's soon. Being with Shane _

_last night made me realize how much I've missed you. I hope you have a safe journey._

_Yours,_

_Tonks_

_PS. I think you owe Wimples an apology for thinking he's just a pampered pet--and an apple. _

Lupin put down the scroll and noticed that his hand was shaking. Tonks had been lucky that Shane had not been so psychotic that he had attacked her in a more lethal manner. He wiped a hand across his face and then began laughing, which sent Barnabus sqawking in surprise. One he settled the owl down, he quickly pulled out a parchment and jotted a note to Tonks.

_Dear Bambi,_

_I was surprised by the final outcome of your tests and relieved to find that you averted _

_danger toward yourself and helped the other subject. I hope I will be seeing you soon, _

_but in the meantime, give the furball an apple for me. He deserves it. We can discuss_

_the terms of our next project when I see you. _

_Best Wishes,_

_The Professor_

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

Sirius Black couldn't believe the question posed by his best friend. "Say again, Moony?"

"What can I do to ruin my date with Tonks?"

Sirius blinked a few times as he considered this. Lupin had returned two days ago and within five minutes of his appearance at number twelve, the Professor had been assaulted by a flying Auror as she leapt off the kitchen steps and threw herself into Lupin's arms.

The werewolf had stood still for a few seconds, but in the next moment Sirius couldn't couldn't tell who was squeezing whom tighter. Then Lupin was spinning Tonks around and he heard the sound of their laughter filling the room. Sirius didn't need to see the light in their eyes to know that no one else existed for them in those few moments before Lupin remembered his presence.

And now his best mate wanted to deliberately ruin a date with his little cousin?

_Swat._

After giving Lupin a dope slap, Sirius said, "You're a bloody loon, Moony. Why do you want to muck up a date with Tonks? I thought you had this all settled?"

"I expected some bloke to come along and sweep her off her feet while I was gone," explained Lupin as he rubbed his head gingerly. "Since that didn't happen, I have to keep my end of the bargain, but make sure it's the most miserable date of her life. She has to understand that it's best that we keep our relationship platonic, not romantic."

"That should be simple enough, Moony. Just look her straight in the eye and tell Tonks that you could never love her." Sirius waited patiently for his friend's response, but continued to be greeted by silence. "Well?"

"I can't," sighed Lupin. "I won't tell Tonks that I love her, but I can't tell her that I don't."

"And people think I've lost my mind," muttered Sirius as he shook his head. "And you want to sabotage this date because you think she deserves a better man?"

"Tonks deserves every good thing in life and that excludes an unemployed, old lycanthrope like me," said Lupin plaintively.

Sirius was quiet for a long moment. He took a deep breath and made a promise to help his friend. "Right then, give me the details and I'll advise. Where are you going on this date?"

"The lighthouse," said Lupin with a nod. "She wants to ride the skiff across to the lighthouse, have dinner, and spend the night stargazing."

"Moony, you can't take Tonks back to Wolf Rock! I hate to say it mate, but that edifice is likely to tumble down on both of you. It sounds like a perfect disaster already."

"I set a reinforcing spell on it recently," said Lupin defensively. "But you're right. Why, the creaking and groaning of the structure should put her off. Even with our milder winters on the islands, it's difficult to keep the place warm."

Sirius nodded. "You have a perfectly horrible setting, now what do you have planned for the meal?"

"Just a light supper with soup and bread," responded Lupin."Tonks is developing an aversion to peas."

"Moony, you hate peas," reminded Sirius.

"I know, but I thought I'd just sort of slip them into hers," said Lupin, already with a guilty look on his face.

"All you have to do is make that lobster bisque of yours. I believe Tonks is allergic to shellfish. Don't fret, it was nothing dangerous. Made Andromeda break out in hives, but they would go away in a day."

"That sounds uncomfortable," murmured Lupin with a concerned look. "Right, then. I have a cold, creaking house and a supper that will make her sick, but the evening has to start off poorly. Ah, I know what! I'll deliberately leave off the canopy on the skiff. She'll be soaking wet from the cold ocean spray."

Sirius returned Lupin's grin as he agreed, "That's a marvelous touch. Start the night off by getting her cold, wet, and miserable. Perfect!"

"Good. Tonks will want to cut the evening short before we even get to the stargazing bit." Lupin rubbed his hands in satisfaction.

"Doesn't the lamp at the lighthouse prevent seeing stars?" asked Sirius.

"No, the magical lens of the spyglass extends beyond the lamp. I can even penetrate cloudy days with a quick spell." There was a sense of pride in Lupin's voice regarding his ancestral artifact.

Sirius smiled and suggested, "Then make her stay for a spot of stargazing, Moony, but do it as a scholarly exercise. In fact, do something like update your charts or what have you."

"Right, she'll probably knock me senseless with the spyglass, but it'll be worth it to ruin the date. Excellent," said Lupin. He turned to his friend and said sincerely, "Thanks for your help, Sirius."

Sirius could only offer a stately bow, but after Lupin left, he murmured, "You're welcome, Tonks."

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

Nymphadora Tonks waited calmly for the knock on the door. She had waited almost five days since Lupin's return for this date. Their interactions thus far had been very platonic, although they had spoken with each other at least once every day, but tonight would be her prize date.

Knowing that Lupin didn't have the means to dress up for her, she had dressed practically in blue jeans, boots, t-shirt and a warm, pink sweater. But she had also followed Fleur's advice and bought a nice camisole set. The French woman had insisted that nice lingerie helped women feel pretty, regardless of whether the date was ever intended to see them.

She knew the time had arrived when Wimples began practically bouncing off the walls. Within seconds there was a knock, but the vorpal bunny beat her to the door and emitted his typical greeting to the Professor.

_Snerf, snerf, snerf._

Lupin bade a quick hello to Tonks then bent over to growl at the irritating furball, which only made Wimples leap higher and with greater abandon until the lepine literally bounced his head against the table in the entry.

"Are you sure you want to leave him alone tonight?" asked Lupin placidly as the were-rabbit shook his head and got his bearings again.

Tonks was laughing softly, "Oh, no, Wimples has already taken care of three of my four dates. You'll have to look for an ally elsewhere if you intend to muck this one up."

Lupin looked at her sharply and wondered if Sirius had alerted her to his plans, but Tonks just patted his arm and said, "I'm kidding. Wimples will be fine; I've left him an apple to find if he'd put his mind to it."

At this proclamation the were-rabbit gave one last snarl to Lupin and bounded off with his nose twitching as he tried to track the apple. Tonks turned to Lupin with her bright smile.

"Ready, Professor?" asked Tonks as she slipped on her cloak.

"Absolutely," assured Lupin. He truly regretted what he was about to do to the woman, but it was for her own good.

- - - - - - - - -

_Wolf Rock_

They first apparated to Land's End and stood on the beach with the wind whipping their cloaks around their bodies. Tonks looked up to see some clouds outlined in silver by the moonlight. She clutched Lupin's arm as he summoned the skiff with a series of whistles.

As Lupin helped her take a seat, she commented, "I almost didn't see it, it's so sleek and black."

"It camouflages to meet the conditions. In the day it almost feels like you're sitting on the water itself," explained Lupin. He had made sure Tonks sat at optimal exposure to the spray and intended to go at maximum speed. He bit his lip in regret, but then asked, "Ready?"

Tonks was practically bouncing on her seat. She took a firm hold with her hands and called over her shoulder, "Go!"

The skiff sped off over the water, at times even jumping over the waves. Lupin heard her first shriek as the cold ocean spray hit with force, but he hardened his heart against creating the canopy that would keep her dry. For his part, only his ankles were getting wet. Tonks, on the other hand, was getting soaked even through her cloak.

The skiff adjusted its trajectory for the swiftest way to Wolf Rock. Lupin didn't want to prolong Tonks' exposure to the cold, so it took only moments and a few more waves of cold water before the skiff began its ascent up the side of the lighthouse. Here Tonks shrieked again as she felt as if her stomach was left several meters behind her body.

Suddenly, the skiff stopped and they were on the landing deck of Wolf Rock. Lupin was about to help her out, but the drenched woman leapt out before he could touch her. Tonks' shout did not surprise Lupin, but her little victory jig did.

"Woohoo! That was the ride of my life. Woooo!"

Lupin could only stare at the exuberant witch who, though soaking wet, was waving her hands around and had the biggest smile on her face. She rushed up to him after she caught her breath and said simply, "Thank you, Remus. Can we do it again?"

Lupin didn't know whether he should be disappointed or relieved. Didn't the plan call for her to be miserable and upset with him at this point? "Um, let's be patient. You'll get another ride when we head back. You must be soaked at this point."

Tonks shivered suddenly and said, "You're right. Guess you'll have to figure out a way to keep me warm, Professor. Well, let's go inside, I need to get out of these wet clothes."

Tonks skipped ahead of him to the door as her words sunk in. Get out of these wet clothes? Lupin stifled a groan. Why hadn't he thought of that consequence? Why hadn't Sirius thought of it? He sighed and opened the door as Tonks stood bouncing on the balls of her feet and shivering, but giving him a big smile.

But the assault on the prize date had only begun.

- - - - - -

"Here, I'll just stoke the fire," said Lupin as he entered and put their drenched cloaks on the hooks by the doorway and added a drying spell to help them along. He took his time to get the flames blazing brightly and when he turned he found that Tonks had found a suitable ensemble to replace her wet clothes.

"This is comfy," she said as she rubbed her hands across the sleeves of the chashmere cardigan she had found on the hook. She had tossed her boots off and shed her blue jeans and pink sweater, but Lupin's cardigan fell to just above her knees. Her long rainbow colored stockings were a bright contrast to the gray cardigan, but she had managed to dry them. She cocked her head when she saw his expression of disbelief and said, "Uh, you don't mind, do you? I thought it acceptable payback for getting drenched on the way in."

"Er, right, sorry about that," murmured Lupin. She looked adorable standing there and he fought the impulse to go to her. "Here, why don't you get warm by the fire? I need to bring supper up for us from the kitchen."

Tonks just shrugged as Lupin left and put her clothes to dry near the fire rather than use a spell on them. The creaking structure sounded menacing, but then she noticed a wireless on the bureau and turned it on to find Celestina Warbleck crooning her tunes. The songs were familiar to the young Auror from her mum's obsession with them.

Satisfied, she then plopped herself in front of the fire. She looked around and found a soft blanket just the right size for sharing and made herself comfortable. So far, the night was perfect!

- - - - - -

Lupin poured the lobster bisque into the bowls on the tray that already held the bread. His heart filled with regret again as he imagined the hives that would soon erupt on Tonks' face. His conscience forced him to also take up the best white wine he had in his stores, courtesy of his pirate forefathers. It would ease her misery until he got her home.

He entered his parlor with the laden tray levitating before him to find a sight he had only ever dreamed about. The fire in the background left Tonks' pink hair with a halo as she hummed softly to the tune from the wireless. She sat with relaxed ease with the blanket covering her shoulders, although her stockinged leg was in clear view. He almost stumbled when she turned and smiled at him.

"Mm, it smells delicious, Remus. I'm famished," said Tonks as he set the tray before them.

"Then by all means, help yourself," assured Lupin.

He took his own bowl slowly and sipped while Tonks downed spoonful after spoonful. "Um, you might want to slow down there."

Tonks giggled. "I guess I'm not being very ladylike, but this is delicious. What is it?"

"Lobster bisque, my mum's special recipe," said Lupin. He expected her to start gagging at any moment, but instead, Tonks just took another spoonful before biting off a chunk of bread.

"Mmm, perfect. I never got shellfish at home. Gives Mum hives," she explained with a nod, "but I love it."

She took her goblet of wine and raised it in expectation. Lupin could only reflect her movements as he took his own cup and touched it to hers. He took a rather large gulp as he considered that again, things were not according to plan. He had to rely on a boring astronomy lesson now.

But once they finished their supper and set the dishes on the tray, Tonks scoot over closer to Lupin. "That was a very good meal, Remus. Thank you for going to the trouble. It was very considerate of you."

Her words were so sincere and offered rather shyly. As Lupin turned to look at her, his eyes fell to her lips. They would taste of wine, he knew, but that was the last thing he should do, especially with the love songs crooning in the background. He adjusted his position so that they could just sit quietly against each other while he recovered his equilibrium. He had to ruin this date.

"Do you want something sweet?" whispered Tonks.

Lupin swallowed the lump in his throat. He was having enough trouble controlling his urge to kiss her. Did she have to tempt him outright?

Tonks took his silence as acquiesance, so she hopped up and fished out something from her cloak pocket where it hung on the hook.

"Here," she said as she settled back in front of the fire, but brought the blanket around them both. "I couldn't send them to you on mission, so I thought I'd bring one to you here. I had three, but I lost one to Wimples. I didn't know were-rabbits ate chocolate."

In her hand were two packages of chocolate frogs. Lupin laughed in delight and said, "I insist you keep one."

"Thank you, sir," chirped Tonks, but was soon scrambling on the floor trying to catch her frog. She grumbled, "I thought they only had one leap! Wimples got his in one."

"I heard they changed the formula," explained Lupin as he finally nabbed his frog that had decided to light on Tonks' back as she crawled along.

"Eek," she said as she felt his hands hovering over her.

Lupin sheepishly pointed to the frog in his hand before popping it in his mouth. Then he saw a predatory gleam on Tonks' face.

"Gotcha!"

Her frog had leaped onto Lupin's shoulder, so her arms soon followed, but the momentum sent them tumbling over.

She popped the chocolate frog into her mouth but felt reluctant to move off of Lupin. But then her eyes fell on on his arm where the sleeve had pulled back in the tussle to chase the frogs.

Tonks sat back and shoved the sleeve up further. "Remus, this is a new scar."

Lupin tugged the sleeve down and sat up. "I've got lots of scars."

"And I happen to be familiar with every one of them. This one is new," insisted Tonks. She tugged the cardigan around her legs as she brought her knees up. Her voice was gentle when she asked, "What happened?"

Lupin shrugged, but knew he should offer an explanation. "McNair was tracking Hagrid. We met, had a lively exchange, and McNair no longer could track Hagrid."

Tonks took a deep breath. "I wish you had told me."

"Like the details you provided about your arrest of Shane Paladin?" countered Lupin.

The Auror looked sharply at him, but then she rolled her eyes. "Kingsley should really learn when to keep his mouth shut."

"He said you were rather brilliant in your duel with Paladin. He had a second wand, I take it?"

Tonks nodded, "He kept it in his room and used Ayame as a hostage."

"Typical cowboy," muttered Lupin and was pleased when he heard Tonks laugh.

"You ever been to America?" asked Tonks.

"Just to New Orleans," said Lupin as he gazed into the fire. "After I got bitten, my parents tried everything they could to help me. They heard about a witch in New Orleans who had experience with the loup garou. It was the summer when I was six when they bundled me up and took me to see her. The woman was a fraud, just a squib who had managed to fool the local Muggles. But at the end of the disappointing day, we were at the City Park in New Orleans as the sun was going down. I remember sitting on my mum's lap and Father wrapping his arms around us both. That's when I saw them. The fireflies."

"Like your patronus?" asked Tonks.

Lupin nodded. "I've seen the occasional glow worms here, but in New Orleans, the grass had just been mowed and it was like watching fairies dancing, skimming across the grass. My dad caught one for me and I held it and thought, there was something more fragile than I was."

Tonks put her arm around his shoulders and just leaned against him. They watched the flames dancing, but she knew in his mind he was seeing the fireflies again, although she hoped he was feeling the comfort of someone who loved him.

"I believe you wanted to do some stargazing?" he finally ventured.

"That would be fine," said Tonks agreeably. She was really hoping to get a kiss out of him tonight; that really would make it perfect, but she wanted to show the Professor that she could follow his lead, let him take the relationship at his own pace.

"Let me put these away and I'll set up the spyglass with the appropriate charms."

- - - - - - -

Lupin returned to the parlor to find Tonks already perched on the stool with one eye against the spyglass. She had left the blanket by the fire, so her neatly trim thigh was contrasted against the black legs of the stool. Her foot was tapping to the tune on the wireless, so Lupin stood mesmerized for a moment by her antics. But he shook off the spell and walked forward with his tome in hand.

"I thought we'd put our time to good use and update the star charts. My family has been keeping records for generations." He opened the book and set a spell to levitate it before them. He said a bit apologetically, "It's not the most exciting task."

"Oh, wonderful. I feel like I'm contributing in return for your hospitality. I'd always sneak up to the Astronomy Tower when I was at Hogwarts. So, what's first?" asked Tonks as she flipped through the record book.

Lupin smiled and began his lecture on the various constellations and their histories. They took turns checking the standard positions of the constellations. The telescope wasn't limited to its physical view of the stars, but could roam the skies around the globe with its magic lens.

The Professor lost count of time as they made their recordings. He was pleased to see Tonks yawning at one point, but rather than become disgruntled, she merely pulled him closer to her saying, "You don't want me to lose my balance on this stool, do you?"

The gentleman in Lupin couldn't refuse, so he let her lean back against him as he brought his arms around her to steady her. The cashmere cardigan felt very soft, but he was determined to be stern.

"Now let's see if you can find a more challenging constellation."

"Let me see. I'll do--Lupus. Should be between Centauri and Hydra on the West with Scorpa and Norma to the East," she murmured.

Lupin frowned at her knowledge, but figured that since the constellation lay within the Milky Way, it would be very difficult for Tonks to find. "It could take you some ti--"

"There it is!" Tonks looked into the eyepiece, then jotted her notes in the log.

"Are you sure?" asked Lupin a bit incredulously. She had found it faster than he could, so he moved in close to take a look. "Right, there it is. Nymphadora, I think you have a gift for this."

"What do I get as a reward?" asked Tonks brightly.

Lupin merely quirked an eyebrow in response. They were practically cheek to cheek and he could smell her light perfume. She turned to him and he didn't protest as she kissed his lips lightly.

She made sure it was just a quick peck, not realizing how it tantalized him and left him hungry for more. "I think I'll do another one."

"You're getting a bit cocky, aren't you?" asked Lupin.

"If I find the next constellation within ten seconds, do I get another kiss?" she taunted.

Lupin was trying to figure out how Tonks had gotten the upper hand again. He should refuse the challenge, but then, what was the likelihood of her finding the next constellation?

"Right, then how about finding this one?" Lupin pointed to the book and was pleased to see a frown appear on Tonks' face.

She set her eye immediately to the eyepiece as Lupin set a countdown of ten wafting in front of them. The constellation was circumpolar to the Southern Hemisphere, so Tonks would have to invoke a spell to get the telescope to detect it at all.

Just as the time was turning to ten, Tonks squealed, "I found it!"

Lupin immediately pushed her aside and peered through the scope. Indeed, there was the rhomboid shape that Johann Bayer had labeled the Chameleon.

He moved back to find Tonks smiling at him and saying, "Pay up."

Lupin sighed in defeat and gave in to the desire he'd had all night to kiss her. It was some time before they broke apart and Lupin admitted, "This was supposed to be the worst date you've ever had."

"Really?" asked Tonks then saw Lupin's confirming nod. But rather than get upset, she just tapped his nose playfully and said, "Remus, didn't my letters teach you anything? It's not what we do or where we are. It's that I'm with you that make this perfect."

"But it can never be more than friendship, Nymphadora. I can't give you what you deserve," said Lupin.

Tonks just sighed. "Remus, I went through a lot just to get this one date from you. I endured a giggolo, a joker, and a lunatic who wanted a brood mare. Don't you think I should be given some time to convince you that we can have something more than just friendship?"

Lupin looked at her bright eyes and shook his head. "It isn't that simple."

"Then just tell me that you can't love me. Tell me that and I'll understand," said Tonks. She regretted her words, though. What if all Lupin felt for her was physical attraction? What if she was just reading the wrong message from him? She kept her eyes on him and touched his chin to bring his gaze back to her when he tried to look away.

"I can't," began Lupin.

"You can't what?" asked Tonks. She was determined that he say the words that would seal her heart against him.

He swallowed and tried again, "I can't-- no, I can't say it."

He moved away from her with a sigh, but Tonks felt her heart welling with hope. "Until you do, then I'll live on the hope that you can love me if you'd only let yourself."

Lupin took a deep breath. He was tired of fighting his feelings. Since he had returned, each day had been a struggle to not take Tonks in his arms and just hold her. He felt her put her arms around him and lean into his back.

"Three dates, Remus, just give me three dates to prove to you that we could make this work. If you're right, then I'll find out for myself why it's so wrong to be with you."

"But if you're not convinced and I still think it's a bad idea?"

Tonks was silent for a moment. He could be a very stubborn man, she knew, but at this point all she could hope for was more time. "I'm not going to make myself a nuisance to you, Remus. We have a war to fight."

Lupin turned around and held her gently, laying his cheek against the top of her head. It would hurt to let her go, but then, it was more likely she would see her folly if he just gave her more time. Even Sirius had turned his back on the lycanthrope all those years ago, choosing to entrust Peter rather than Remus to be the secret keeper for the Potters. Surely Tonks would lose her faith in him, too?

"Three dates then," he agreed.

Tonks gripped him tightly, but her mind was running on the possibilities. "All right, then we need to agree on what constitutes a date."

Lupin looked puzzled. "But I thought tonight was--"

"My other dates were in public, so our three dates have to be in public, too," said Tonks.

Lupin looked as if she'd lost her mind. "You don't want to be seen in public with me."

"Then our first public date should convince me of that, shouldn't it?"

Lupin couldn't find fault with her logic. The first time she heard the murmured insults, the first time she saw how people avoided even shaking his hand--these would be convincing signs.

"All right, three dates in public."

As they shook hands, a flash of lightning appeared as the wind blew in the storms that had threatened earlier. The clap of thunder seemed to echo for a moment to seal their latest bargain.

"I'm afraid we should wait out the storm before I get you home," said Lupin as he looked out the window.

"We can wait until morning," said Tonks as she began leading him toward the stairs. "I can sleep here if you don't mind."

"Wait. I didn't prepare a guest room."

"I know," said Tonks brightly as she pulled him down the next flight of stairs.

"There's a blanket in the parlor."

"Uhuh, it was nice and warm, but you can't expect me to sleep on the sofa after all you tried to do to ruin my evening, can you?"

"Oh, so this is payback, is it?"

Tonks turned with a grin, "When isn't it payback?"

"Fine, kick me out of my own bed. I'll just bring up a pillow and sleep on the floor."

"Nope, you're not going anywhere without me."

"But we can't sleep in the same bed; it's not proper."

"Remus, you spent two nights with me at my flat on the same bed."

"But that was different; I was recovering."

"Well, I'm recovering from the cold ocean spray. Feel me shiver?"

Tonks stopped abruptly and Lupin ran into her. Indeed, he could feel the shiver running up her spine as his hands moved up her arms and stopped at her shoulders.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?"

"Do you really think I'm so easy that I'd let you take certain liberties on a first date?"

Lupin stopped as he realized they were at his bedroom door. Actually, he had thought that it would be easy to make Tonks his woman, although he never considered that meant she was easy with her affections.

"I think there's a number of liberties you'd let me take," replied Lupin as he backed her against the door, not noticing her hand on the doorknob. He was about to lean in to kiss her when she turned the doorknob and they both fell in.

_Eek! Oof!_

Lupin had managed to break her fall, but now he had to contend with a giggling bundle of Tonks laying on top of him. He held her for a moment and asked, "What am I going to do with you?"

"You're going to take certain liberties but not cross the line because we're both not made like that," said Tonks as she propped up to look at him. "I'm the one who's likely to muck this up, Remus. Remember my sign: Mortal Peril? Just give me enough rope and I'll hang myself."

Or catch a werewolf, thought Lupin. But perhaps it was for the best that Tonks discover for herself the reasons they had no future beyond their friendship. He put his hand through her pink, spiky hair and smiled. It felt good not to fight the strong emotions that drew him to this woman.

"Let's get some sleep, then. We'll have to get up early to get you back in time for work," grumbled Lupin.

Tonks felt no guilt at the imposition, but merely settled into his arms, saying a prayer for any moment she could steal with him. Lupin accepted her warm body and for once his arms weren't aching at all. Of course the Marauder in him was determined to find out just what liberties he would be allowed, but for now, he was content to set aside his fears and hold her closely. At least in his dreams he was able to tell her that he loved her.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

It was early morning and the heir of the Noble House of Black still slumbered. He had fallen asleep with an easy conscience last night. He had no regrets in letting Lupin believe that the only consequence of getting a woman wet and cold was misery rather than removing the clothing of necessity.

Sirius also knew Tonks wasn't allergic to shellfish from the gusto with which she had eaten Molly's crabcakes while Lupin had been away on mission. Sirius did remember that the lobster bisque was one of Lupin's special dishes, so he knew his little cousin would enjoy it.

And if there was a subject that all Blacks shared with enthusiasm, it was astronomy. Sirius, Regulus, Andromeda. The names weren't there by chance and he had recently had a long conversation with Tonks about the very topic.

Yes, the setting was an old lighthouse, the home of a poor man, but for Tonks, what mattered would be being at the home of Remus Lupin. She'd find the shelter and warmth she needed in the man.

So it came as no surprise when in the early morning Sirius registered the creak that indicated his door was opening. Still, he was too groggy to defend himself from the pillow that swatted him.

"Thanks for the help, Padfoot. Now I have three dates with Tonks before she'll let it drop."

As Lupin walked away, he could here the barking laughter smothered by the pillow on the face of his best mate. Obviously in the game of love, blood wins out.

_End Chapter 11_

Author Notes:

Minor edits, mostly to add Barnabus. And then another to see if the new formatting was preserved.

My apologies for the longer wait, but my schedule prevented my progress. I also wanted to complete the dates rather than just post the Tonks' letters. I hope Lupin's vascillating emotions make sense; I think that's something we all see in his character. Tonks is finding a bit more confidence now, and Wimples is not an Animagus, in case any of you are wondering. He's just a very special bunny.

The Heidelberg Harriers are canon, but Otto Steinhauer is not. The heartlock spell is not canon, but I created it as a way to see into someone's heart. Metamorphmages are rare, so I split them up over three continents.

Andrei Codrescu is a real poet, from New Orleans, in fact. That set my mind for using City Park for the dreams with Wimples and for Lupin's memory, but I had promised to explain why a Britsh wizard would have an American firefly for a Patronus.

Yes, I had a lot of fun with Little Bunny Fufu and Shane, the cowboy. The reference to Roswell, New Mexico was deliberate as was the article that Lupin remembered Shane writing. And a Jackalope is a long standing joke out west (jack rabbit with antlers).

The constellations of Lupus and the Chameleon are real, just do a search on any star chart. I believe I got Celestina Warbleck's name right, but I'm anxious to post.

Thanks for reading and being patient. I hope you found it worth the wait. Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings to all.


	12. Masque of the Wolf

Summary: Remus and Tonks prepare for a masque ball. Can anyone survive being her partner? 

**Nymph vs Wolf  
_Masque of the Wol_f**

_Tonks' Flat_

It had been a few weeks since Remus Lupin had made his bargain of three public dates with Nymphadora Tonks. They had agreed that she would continue to help out Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour with their decoy dates, but they had put off discussing the details of their own outings. Instead they talked, played chess, and tested their ability to maintain their attention on the game.

"Uuuh, mmm. Tonks, stop that."

"What's wrong, Remus? I'm just trying to get a better view of the chess board."

"You were nibbling on my ear."

"Nervous habit. You don't want me biting my fingernails, do you? What would Mum say? And take that."

"Oh, look, see there? You've blocked my bishop. I never would have made that move if I hadn't lost my concentration."

"Quit grumbling and make your next move."

"There."

"Hm, now why move your piece there? This requires some thinking."

"Take your time, Nymphadora."

"Right, I'll just--ooooh, mmmm. Remus! You're trying to distract me."

"Am not. I'm succeeding in distracting you."

"Your testing the limits of the liberties you're allowed."

"Am I?"

"Mmm hm."

He took that as encouragement and intensified the attack. The Professor knew it was foolish of him to engage in any physical relationship with the young witch. Still, the Marauder in him found it took more energy to resist physical contact with Tonks than to give in to it.

As another chess match between Tonks and Lupin dissolved as the two put more attention and energy into kissing, Wimples hopped out of his top hat and harassed the hapless chess pieces. The two humans finally broke apart when the last piece standing, the Black Queen, self-exploded in a fit of impatience with the were-rabbit. The vorpal bunny merely hopped into his top hat and wiggled his ears jauntily in satisfaction.

"Game over," sighed Tonks before nestling against Lupin's chest rather than rising. "Do you have to go?"

Lupin was lazily stroking her hair. "I should."

But he made no motion to remove her so he could leave.

"Stay."

"I--"

"Stay," she whispered as she kissed him. She released him and added, "I'm not trying to tease you or trap you, Remus, it's just that I don't want you to go."

Lupin twined his fingers in her hair at the nape of her neck and smiled gently. "I shouldn't encourage this. Every time I kiss you I think I've fallen into a miracle."

"I didn't know I was such a divine kisser," she quipped. She kissed the palm of his hand and added, "I've never let a man this close to me before."

A small frown settled on his face. "And why do you let me touch you?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I'm ugly."

Tonks stiffened at the words and frowned as well. She traced the scars on his face lightly and asked, "What do you mean? Just because you're a lycanthrope--"

"No, it's not the curse or the scars. I'm not, I mean I've never been..." His voice dropped off and his eyes shifted, reminding Tonks of an awkward boy trying to find the words to explain. "I'm just ugly. At Hogwarts I'd look in the mirror and then look at Sirius or James. They didn't have a long nose or a high forehead--"

"Your features suit your face; you'd look rather silly with a little button nose," said Tonks as she changed hers to illustrate, "or had a sloping forehead."

Lupin smiled at her antics as she recovered her features, but he continued with his flaws. "The rest of me is nothing but long, gangly limbs."

Tonks grabbed his ears and tugged them. "You are not ugly! Merlin, how could you--"

"You're always saying I'm too bloody tall," he reminded.

"That was because I was getting too distracted by your long legs and endless, lean thighs and--" Tonks stopped there as she felt her face flaming and then noted Lupin's eyebrow quirking. She squeezed his hand and insisted, "I can't match your height unless I'm two steps above you, so of course I'd complain.".

"And the lonely bed comment?" Lupin reminded her of a comment made on the first day they worked together and Tonks winced in response.

"I was angry because I thought that you thought that I was--too ugly." Tonks voice dropped off. She could be any man's fantasy, but she chose to be herself. "Mum was always telling me I should change my nose or sculpt my eyebrows or have thinner lips."

"You shouldn't listen to your mum; she did name you Nymphadora after all," said Lupin gently. "I find you quite lovely."

Tonks punched his shoulder. "And I never thought you were ugly! You shouldn't have been comparing yourself to the Sex God of Gryffindor, you git."

Lupin suddenly laughed at her words and pulled her into his embrace. "I'm telling Sirius that one."

"Then do it in the morning," she murmured. "Stay."

"Yes," sighed Lupin. He was tired of his lonely bed and although he was still convinced Tonks would inevitably come to her senses, he couldn't refuse when she asked so little of him. Stay.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Diagon Alley_

"I'm in a real muddle here, Remus. We need another decoy date for Tonks," said Bill Weasley to Lupin as they walked together in Diagon Alley.

"Goblins aren't dim, Bill, especially the ones that work at Gringotts. Don't you think they know something is going on between you and Fleur?" asked Lupin.

"Of course they suspect, but discretion is highly valued at Gringotts. As long as they see we're willing to keep up the public appearance of dating others until Fleur's internship is over at New Year's, they won't send her away."

"I see," replied Lupin. "And your current dilemma is for Gringotts' Masquerade Ball?"

"We'd already put Tonks' name in for an invitation and I know she was approved, but none of my mates is willing to go as a decoy date. The Grimball invitations go out any time now."

"Getting invited is highly prized by the wizarding world. Surely that would be sufficient enticement?" asked Lupin.

"That's what I thought, but as soon as I mention Nymphadora Tonks, the men turn pale. I've tried bribes and threats, but nothing worked. Eddie Washburn even paid me a galleon he's owed me since we graduated from Hogwarts--with interest, mind you-- rather than go as Tonks' date."

"Why won't they cooperate?" asked Lupin, clearly perplexed.

"Well for one thing, Tonks has a vicious attack dog."

"It's a bunny, granted he tends to misbehave."

"It's a furball with fangs from all accounts. And if the creature doesn't get them, she's just as bad. I'm sure you've heard how she practically emasculated Otto Steinhauer."

"A woman has a right to defend herself against unwanted groping."

"I know the git should have listened to her, but she didn't have to be so violent, or so, so--."

"Thorough? It's her training," offered Lupin. "Bill, Tonks is a lovely, bright, cheerful sort of girl with a promising career with the Aurors. Surely--"

"Oh, right. Step out of line with that one and she arrests the bloke." Bill put his hand on Lupin's shoulder and said, "I'm out of ideas, Remus. If Gringotts sends out its ravens before Fleur can add a name to the list, I'll have to find some poor sod who got invited and trick him into thinking Fleur is his real date, and that won't be a happy thing to explain to my dear Miss Delacour."

"Can you get a copy of the list thus far?" asked Lupin, but before Bill could answer, the skies darkened as a flock of ravens filled the sky.

"Bloody hell, here they come."

The beating wings and the cawing flooded Diagon Alley as they passed in front of the Orbis Shoppe. Wizards and witches stopped with anticipation at being invited and fear that the ravens would mark them as unwanted. If one should cast a deflecting spell, the invitation would not be delivered. However, remaining unguarded invited an attack by the petulant messengers with their sharp claws.

Bill watched the approaching flock with confidence while Lupin stood by him looking amused. The Professor had discovered that calling forth the wolf within him was sufficient to prevent any attack by a Gringotts raven, especially since the deliveries were always made within the week of the full moon. It had become a game of sorts over the years, so he also stood at ease as two ravens fell out of formation and zoomed straight for the men.

And then came the surprise. Lupin could feel his eyes taking on their feral luster, but before the wolf emerged further, a large black envelope was dropped to him.

Beside him, Bill gave a loud yell of victory. "Remus! This is perfect. You can be Tonks' date!"

Lupin could only stand there and blink. "Tonks' date?"

"Thanks, mate. I've got to tell Fleur!"

As Bill disapparated with a pop, Lupin stared at the invitation. Someone with influence at Gringotts had put his name into the pot. His attention was caught when he heard the door of the Orbis Shoppe opening.

"What have you there, Lupin?" The scratchy voice came from the owner of the Orbis Shoppe who stood at a third of Lupin's height and had long pointed fingers. "Ah, it looks like an invitation to the Masque."

"Hello, Ragnok." Lupin hadn't visited with the goblin since he had returned from his mission with Hagrid. His purpose this morning had been to discuss certain issues regarding the betting scandal at the Quidditch World Cup that still lingered.

"Well, come in then. I've got tea for you and a good stout ale for me in my office," said Ragnok as he ushered in the Professor. The prosperous Orbis Shoppe sold goblin crafted jewelry and several clerks were busy with excited customers. The goblin called to his assistant that he wasn't to be disturbed and soon the two were settled.

"Do you know why I was issued an invitation this year?" began Lupin.

"Could be that someone is playing a trick on you, Lupin. After all, it is a masquerade ball and Gringotts supplies the costumes." Ragnok smiled, but had the effect of being somewhat less than reassuring. "What costume do you think you'll find yourself in?"

"That's not funny, Ragnok."

The goblin cackled. "You say you understand the prejudice that goblins deal with from the Wizards. Suppose some of the elders at Gringotts are interested in finding out for themselves how sincere your words are."

"So I'm expected to present myself as a wolf and not a man to the esteemed crowd at the ball?" Lupin could already imagine how the congregation would part when he entered. "It's a most unique honor."

Ragnok answered, but his tone lost its sarcasm. "They conferred the honor of the invitation to you for your help in writing the arguments for pressing our case for retribution against Ludo Bagman."

At this point Ragnok shoved a parchment across the table at Lupin. "The remuneration we obtained was a pittance, but the precedent we established was enormous."

"I'm glad I was able to be of service," replied the Professor as he scanned the document with satisfaction, "but I find myself reluctant in accepting the gesture of gratitude."

"You could decline the invitation, of course, but remember this, Lupin. Goblins don't trust easily. Pass this test and a number of goblin factions are likely to give a favorable ear to Dumbledore and his agents."

Lupin merely nodded and quietly sipped his tea. The goblins wanted to witness first hand how Wizards could discriminate against one of their own. With luck, Fleur Delacour would refuse to have him as a decoy date for Tonks. It would be better to stand alone as he suffered this humiliating night. In any case, Tonks would learn quite effectively why she was better off with another man.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Tonk's Flat_

Nymphadora Tonks was leaving the Ministry building with a grumbling stomach since all she had eaten was a bit of toast in the morning before being thrown into a chaotic day. Things had only gotten worse after the Grimball invitations had been delivered. Short-tempers flew among those disappointed at not being invited or those who had gotten clawed. Even Tonks' spikey hair was looking rather droopy.

Her spirits were also low given the invitation she held in her hand. Once again she'd be forced to endure a decoy date for Fleur Delacour and Bill Weasley. She knew she should feel honored to be invited to the Grimball, but the only silver lining she could think of was that she could ask Lupin to teach her to dance.

The thought brightened her mood a bit until an owl swooped down to drop a note into her hands. Tonks opened it quickly, sighed, and disapparated to her flat.

"Wimples," she called as she opened her door. "Fleur's coming over, you better hide if you don't want your ears pulled and your tail pinched."

Tonks was satisfied when she heard a yip and saw a white streak aiming for the top hat in the far corner. The one time Fleur had met the were-rabbit, she had squeezed him too tightly around the tummy and yanked his ears as the creature was trying to escape the witch. Then to add insult to injury, Fleur had pinched Wimples' fluffy tail. Other than the episode with the hooped skirts, Wimples made a habit of hiding whenever Fleur appeared.

Her pet was no sooner out of harm's way than the knock came at her door. Tonks opened it and Fleur immediately flounced inside in a huff with Bill at her heels.

"...you cannot expect me to go with theez, theez _loup garou_!"

"But, Fleur, he's not what you expect. Remus Lupin is--"

"What's this about Remus?" asked Tonks.

As both Fleur and Bill began to speak with her, Tonks heard the rhythm of a familiar knock on her door. Speak of the devil.

"Tonks, I got a message to meet Bill and Fleur here," began Lupin, but then looked inside to find the other guests arguing. He bowed lightly and said, "Ah, but it seems they're already here. Bill, Miss Delacour, a pleasure to meet you."

"See, Fleur, Remus is a gentleman," assured Bill as he stroked the blonde's shoulder.

"What is going on here?" asked Tonks as she threw up her hands. Suddenly, three people were trying to explain, one in French, all of them waving an invitation to the Grimball in her face.

"Wait, just wait." Tonks looked at Bill's hopeful face, Fleur's doubtful one, and finally to Lupin's stoic expression. She could see that Lupin was hiding something, but she doubted it had anything to do with Fleur and Bill. She took a deep breath and asked, "Now don't say a word, just nod when I'm right. Is this about the Grimball? I see we all have invitations."

Three confirming nods responded.

"Right, so Bill is really escorting Fleur but allegedly escorting me."

Three more nods confirmed her analysis.

"And that would mean that Remus is to be my escort but a decoy date for Fleur?"

That's when the three erupted again with Bill pleading with Fleur and gesticulating toward Lupin, Fleur dissolving into a cacaphony of French and gesticulating at Bill, and Lupin trying to speak calmly to the two, but gesticulating at Tonks. No one, however, was speaking with her.

"_Langlock_."

Tonks surprised them all as she swirled her wand quickly to prevent her guests from speaking. Three pairs of eyes turned to look in her in surprise. "I know I'm being a poor hostess, but would you all just shut it for a minute?"

Bill shrugged, Fleur tilted her nose upward, and Lupin nodded once. Tonks released the spell, then ordered, "Bill, Remus, go sit."

"But--" began Bill.

"Sit," echoed Fleur firmly, so Bill ambled over to sit on the sofa by Lupin who had the presence of mind not to annoy Tonks further and had complied immediately.

"You're upset that Remus is supposed to be the decoy date for the Grimball?" asked Tonks of Fleur.

"And how am I to explain theez? Yet another man and a _loup garou_! I already have a _réputation_ at Gringotts for being a fickle flirt while you, you are considered practically engaged to _mon amour_. It is some cruel joke, no?" At this point Fleur broke down in a cascade of tears.

Tonks immediately flicked Fleur's nose sharply with her finger.

"Ouch! You, you--"

"Now you have something to cry about," said Tonks as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, Fleur, I haven't been trying to sabotage this thing between you and Bill. Believe me, I see him like a brother and I'm sure I fill the bill as an annoying sister to him. It's an effect I have on the good fellows I meet."

Fleur pouted prettily and darted a quick look toward Bill who was nodding madly from his seat. She turned to Tonks and said, "_Bien_, but how do I explain theez date? The others have all been _jeunes_ _hommes_ and not, not _loup garou_."

"But Remus is _profeseur_, a _savant_, not just a werewolf. Didn't Madam Maxim allow him to stay at Beauxbatons in September when he traveled to the Continent?" offered Tonks.

Lupin had described the details of his mission to retrieve Hagrid to the young Auror. Tonks knew that his journey had begun with a brief stay at Fleur's alma mater to get information from Olympe Maxim.

"_Oui_, Madam was, how you say, grateful that Lupin came to aide her _ami_," verified Fleur.

"So there you have it. Madam Maxim wouldn't have let Remus stay if she thought he would harm the students," said Tonks as she put an arm around Fleur's shoulder and began walking toward the men. "It also explains why Remus is your date without implying any romance. He's a friend of your former Headmistress, so you're doing a favor by providing a convenient escort to this very important social event. Instead of being fickle, you'll be seen as being considerate, open-minded, and not interested in wasting time with a string of young men."

"Damn, she's good," whispered Bill to Lupin.

"Too good," he replied as his hopes that Fleur would reject him outright were dashed. As the ladies reached them, Lupin raised his voice and asked, "But has anyone bothered to ask if I have any intention of accepting the invitation?"

A hush fell over the room, but instead of speaking, the three merely gestured. Bill was nodding his head, Fleur was blinking her eyes as if the thought of any man refusing to be her escort was unfathomable, but Tonks was who finally swayed him. The plea in her eyes could not be denied--and now she would find out why they had no future together.

Lupin pressed his lips together and said, "Right, then, it looks like I'm in, but first, young lady, I believe you need some dancing lessons."

Fleur flew into Bill's arms for a warm embrace, but Tonks elected to be a bit more discreet and merely knelt in front of Lupin and patted his hand. "You won't regret it, Remus. I'll work hard, I promise."

Regret already held him, but Tonks' bright smile made it easy to put off thoughts of what he would face at the Grimball. Still, he leaned forward to whisper in Tonks' ear, "This counts as our fist public date."

Tonks leaned back and was about to protest, but a single look stopped her. She nodded silently. Once Fleur and Bill had left, however, she pressed her argument.

"Remus, this can't be a real date for us," said Tonks.

"Actually, it's ideal," argued Lupin. "We're seen together in public, but you gain some distance from my stigma."

"You are not stigmatized!"

"Open your eyes, Nymphadora, and you'll see how wrong you are," said Lupin. "The point is that your reputation is still safe from Scrimgeour's scrutiny given our decoy dates with Fleur and Bill. And we should set up the other two dates now as well. We can't drag this out indefinitely."

Tonks sighed. Still, she had carefully made plans for two dates, although this first one had been thrust upon them. "I have some ideas, but it will be a few months between each date."

Lupin could accept that, although his heart still feared he'd be facing the new year alone again. "And?"

"I thought, well, I'm supposed to go to Otto and Gretchen's wedding in February," Tonks said in a small voice. "I usually hate weddings for all the catty remarks I get about not being married or even having a boyfriend. I thought that you could go with me then."

She was biting her lip as she looked up, but Lupin readily agreed. "That sounds reasonable. In fact it would serve the Order well to spread the word. And the third date?"

Tonks began picking at a loose thread on her sofa. "Well, I was thinking about St. Mungo's Charity Ball in May. I never got to go when I was in Healer training."

"I remember. The bloke who asked you stood you up," said Lupin. He could understand why that was important. His voice sounded concerned as he added, "The tickets will cost."

"Sirius already said he'd buy them for me as a Christmas present," said Tonks, then had the good grace to look guilty. "He said anything that helps keeps Gilderoy Lockhart out of the public eye is worth supporting."

"I knew this was a Black conspiracy," accused Lupin with a light smile as he pulled her into his arms.

"Sirius is a good friend," admonished Tonks as she dropped a quick kiss on the tip of his nose.

"The best kind," agreed Lupin, but he wasn't interested in talking about Sirius. He was more concerned with kissing the little cousin. They had so little time left together and his hunger for her kept growing--then her stomach emitted a distinctive growl and the kiss was broken.

Tonks pulled back and stuttered, "Er, I skipped lunch."

Lupin quirked an eyebrow and she shrugged, "It was a busy day." Another growl punctuated her statement. "I skipped the market, too." Lupin sighed when she explained, "Well, I had enough veggies for Wimples and like I said, busy day."

"You happen to be in luck," began Lupin as he offered her salvation and sustenance. "Sirius wanted take-away from his favorite fish--"

"Oh, he'll share!" Tonks was hopping on her toes and clapping her hands in delight.

"You know, you don't look like a dark wizard catcher at this moment," chided Lupin as she shoved him out the door with her body.

"Don't need to for eating fish 'n' chips!" she sang.

In fact, Sirius had sent Lupin out to specifically bring back dinner and his little cousin. They were soon at Grimmauld Place sharing their humble feast with Sirius. As Lupin had hoped, Tonks was able to brighten the mood at number twelve. Soon they were while they exchanged stories of their days at Hogwarts. But eventually, Sirius took his leave when he felt the need to isolate himself again.

Tonks settled into the crook of Lupin's arm on the settee in the parlor. The Professor let his cheek rest on the top of her head and wondered what it would be like to have this contact, this comfort, for the rest of my life. They talked about inconsequential things, but learned so much from each other even when they fell into a companionable silence.

Then Lupin's voice punctuated the silence with a quiet word. "Stay."

"I thought you'd never ask," murmured Tonks before she turned to kiss him.

But Lupin suddenly pulled away shaking his head when he realized what he'd said. "Wait, you can't. Stay, I mean. Sirius--"

"Knows you're not sleeping on the street when you're out all night," reminded Tonks.

"I know, but--that's different. It's your flat or it's been my house, not Sirius' house. I mean, this is Order headquarters!"

"Yeah? That never stopped Sirius and Emmeline, did it? And it's not as if we'll be doing it on the kitchen table," grumbled Tonks before a spark of challenge entered her eyes. "How about we ask?"

"We can't ask him that. What am I supposed to say? Oi, mate, can your little cousin sleep over with me?"

"That sounds fine," urged Tonks. "And if I'm right and he doesn't object, I get my pick of your clothing for sleepwear. Bet?"

"Is this some ploy to steal another one of my shirts?" asked Lupin with suspicion.

Tonks looked at him with wide-eyed innocence. "Remus! I'm an Auror, duty-bound to protect the citizens of the Wizarding World..."

"You sound like the Auror recruitment campaign," he inserted mildly.

"...maintaining the highest of personal standards which certainly excludes pilfering comfy, well worn shirts."

"So I suppose I've merely lost my shirts to your protective custody?"

"I'm duty bound," Tonks agreed before taking a deep. "How you could think--"

The argument was interrupted when their host poked his head back into the parlor and asked, "Aren't you two in bed yet?" Sirius shook his head as if exasperated. "I thought I was the only insomniac. Don't stay up on my account; get some sleep. Tonks is a working girl, after all. You can cook us all sausages and eggs for breakfast, Moony. Now, good night."

Sirius walked away with his hands full of tasty morsels for Buckbeak, his midnight companion. In the meantime, Lupin pulled a giggling Tonks into his arms, but his kiss aptly put a stop to this.

"You heard the man, off to bed," said the nymph with a smile. Then her hand flicked the collar of the Professor's shirt and whispered, "Protective custody, Remus. I did win the bet and you're wearing the shirt I want."

Yes, once again Lupin felt as if he'd fallen into a Black conspiracy, but being manipulated by the cousins was a happy way to spend his days--and his nights.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

The first dance lesson occurred three days later in the early evening. Lupin's phonograph had been brought down to the drawing room and an area had been cleared for their endeavor. The object most at risk, however, was Professor R. J. Lupin.

"Just relax and follow. Now, one, two, three, four and one, t-OW!"

"Maybe I should do this barefoot so I don't kick your shin again?"

"All right. Let's begin again Now...Fine...I'm going to turn--Ah!"

"Oh, Remus, I didn't mean to poke your eye! My arm just sort of flayed upward."

"No matter, but try not to be so stiff. Relax. You trust me, don't you?"

"Absolutely. You I trust. Me? I'm hopeless."

"Now don't say that. Again...Fine...See, you're doing much bet--Wait. Tonks?"

"Huh?"

"You were standing on my feet."

"But it was working!"

"That will never do. Now, come on, you just need to be lighter on your feet."

"Right. Lighter on my feet. Lighter on my fee--"

"Tonks?"

"I am soooo sorry."

"Why am I hanging upside down?"

"Er, maybe because I misfiredthespelltomakemelighteronmyfeet."

"Could you release me, please? Gently."

_Thud._

"Remus, are you all right?"

"Mum never had a lesson go like this one. I'm sure of it."

"Are you failing me?"

"No, no, we'll get this. Actually, it feels quite nice lying on the floor. I think we better call it quits before the moon rises."

_Bark, bark._

"Go away, Snuffles, Remus hasn't transformed yet."

"Oh? Well, hurry up. Buckbeak's getting anxious to play. Be careful when you come into the tower, Moony. I think he's planning to ambush you. _Bark_!" Sirius transformed back into Snuffles and ran off.

Lupin rolled over on his back and sighed. His work was never done, but his aches dissolved when Tonks leaned over and kissed him.

"Sirius is right," she said. "The moon should be rising soon and I'm sure the wolf wants to play."

"I wish I were pocket-sized so you could just carry me up," said Lupin as Tonks offered a hand to help hoist him to his feet.

":Now there's an intriguing idea. I could carry you around with me where ever I went. Oh, but then we couldn't be dance partners, not that I'd call this dancing."

"We'll get there yet, Nymphadora, but no spells."

"Fine, no spells, just hard work. Right. I can do this."

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

"All right, now. One, two, three, four, one, no, your other left."

"But I have two lefts and no rights!" grumbled Tonks as she moved out of their dance position. "I'm doomed, Remus."

"Perhaps you need to demonstrate with a partner so Tonks can see how it's done," suggested Sirius as he leaned in the doorway to the drawing room with a grin on his face. Really, he had never seen such an uncoordinated mess as his little cousin.

"Right then," agreed Lupin, then he pointed to the spot in front of him and added, "Well, get over here."

Sirius stood up in surprise. "Me? But, Moony, Molly should be here soon and--"

"And will be busy seeing to dinner. Come on, Padfoot."

"Fine," grumbled Sirius, "but I'll lead."

"No, I will."

Tonks was stifling a giggle as the two men vied for lead position until Lupin quickly hefted Sirius off his feet and said firmly, "I'll lead."

"I hope you know you're just embarrassing yourself," murmured Sirius with mock affront, but Tonks could tell he was relieved when Lupin set him on his feet.

"All right, Tonks, now pay attention to Sirius--"

"Call me Siri," said Sirius with a high pitched voice, to which Lupin merely rolled his eyes. Then Sirius pulled his long hair out of its ponytail and batted his eyelashes at Lupin.

"Merlin, help me," mumbled Lupin as he began to lead Sirius around in a circuit of the room. "See, Siri is just following my lead--"

"Oh, you're a fabulous dancer," squealed Sirius as he flounced his long hair and swatted Lupin across the face with it.

"And avoid doing anything that will make your partner want to strangle you," advised Lupin rather pleasantly, but without a single misstep as he blew the hair out of his mouth. The music ended, Lupin bowed to Sirius, who gave an elegant curtsy in response.

"Wonderful. Even my fugitive cousin makes a better girl than I do," moaned Tonks as she stood up. "Right, let the torture begin."

"You'll survive," assured Lupin as he placed his arm around her waist.

"I was referring to your torture, not mine," said Tonks. Perhaps if she just closed her eyes? And focused on his voice as he counted.

As the music ended, Sirius was clapping his hands saying, "That's better. You only tripped once, stumbled twice, and no crockery was harmed."

The dance partners turned with mutual glares at their critic, but Sirius just waved his wand to start the phonograph and said, "Try again. Oh, that's the door. I'll take care of Mumsy; you two just continue doing whatever you call this thing you're doing."

"He's not helping," said Lupin as he maneuvered Tonks.

"He certainly can't hurt. Besides, Sirius has been a bit gloomy lately. I think he's enjoying watching me mangle the dance."

"The things we do to keep his spirits up," sighed Lupin, but he was smiling at the young witch in his arms. If she wasn't thinking about dancing, she seemed to do better. He kept talking to her, but they were interrupted before they could finish their dance.

"Are we having a dance with dinner then?" asked Moody as he stomped into the room. Molly and Sirius walked behind him.

"We're going with Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour to the Grimball. Tonks just needs some lessons," explained Lupin.

"Oh, the masquerade ball! My parents would tell me such wonderful stories about it," said Molly a bit wistfully.

"Ach, they're a boring lot, Molly. You have more fun at a good Muggle Swing dance," said Moody with a toss of his hips.

Molly giggled like a school girl. "Oh, Arthur and I used to go to sneak into the Swing dances. We'd even dance with the little ones when they were young."

Before anyone could anticipate what Moody had in mind, the disc on the vitrola was replaced by something a bit more jazzy.

"I'd stand back if I were you," said Lupin to Tonks and Sirius. "Moody's of a mind to Swing."

Moody clapped his hands twice as he got into the rhythm of the music while Molly merely tapped her foot, unaware of what the retired Auror intended until he grabbed her in his arms and swung her around.

"C'mon, Molly lass. Let's show these puppies how it's done!"

"Oh, I don't think I can watch this," said Sirius as he bit back a laugh and left the room.

Tonks could only stare dumbfounded at the display before her. After her initial surprise, Molly rose to the challenge and matched Moody's rather wild movements with graceful poise as she mirrored her partner or made the complementary movement.

"That's it, Molly. Let's try this," encouraged Moody as he danced with his stumpy leg occasionally going in a different direction than intended.

Lupin was anticipating each move as he stood behind Tonks and murmured, "...Whirlwind... Sweetheart...Tunnel. Oh, no."

Lupin got out his wand to ease the execution.

"Over- the-Rainbow!" called Moody enthusiastically.

"Eek!" That was all Molly had time for as she was flipped over Moody's back--and landed on her knees in front of her husband and her host. Meanwhile Moody was now dancing away lost in a solo chacha of some sort.

Arthur Weasley looked down at his disheveled wife. "Hello, dear. Tough day?"

"Arthur!" Molly was blushing beet red while Tonks moved quickly to her side to help Arthur get Molly to her feet.

In the meantime, Lupin and Sirius had gone to intercept Moody before he swung a standing lamp around the room in his exuberance.

"You seem to have lost a dance partner, Mad-Eye," informed Sirius as he jerked his head toward Molly and Arthur.

"Wha? Oh, hello there, Arthur. Hell of a dancer, your lovely wife is," said Moody before opening his flask and taking a large gulp.

"Come on, Moody, let's get that thirst quenched, properly," offered Sirius as he led him out.

Tonks immediately offered her explanation of the bizarre scene. "It's all my fault, Arthur. I was having dancing lessons with Remus and, ahem, Mad-eye thought I needed a demonstration."

"Well, then, by all means. May I have this dance?" asked Arthur of his wife.

Molly was blushing again, but this time she smiled coyly at her partner. Lupin began the music and stood by Tonks as they watched Molly and Arthur dance. It was clear to them that no one else existed for them as they moved together.

"That's what I want," sighed Tonks.

"We'll get there," assured Lupin as he squeezed her shoulder gently.

Tonks nodded and leaned back against him. She had not been referring to the dance.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_The Grimball_

_Tonks' Flat_

"You've got to be joking. Please, Fleur, tell me this is a bad dream?" asked Tonks desperately. Even Wimples poked his head out from under the bureau to peer at the costume Fleur had just placed on Tonks' bed.

"You weel look lovely. Your _coiffure_ complements it well. Me, I am to be _mouton_, sheep. Too fluffy, too white, too common."

Fleur pointed to her own costume which contained a white dress festooned with poofy white fleece with an open skirt to show off the matching pantaloons also layered with fleece. Her long sleeves ended in cuffs of lambswool and her half-mask had poofy, droopy black ears. "I even have a _queue_."

Fleur turned the skirt over and shook the garment so that the fluffy white tail seemed to be wagging at Tonks, so Wimples used this opportunity to dart under the bed.

"Fleur, you know you'll just look like an adorable little lamb in that." Really, there was no way the blonde could look look bad, thought Tonks crossly.

"_Agneau_? Yes, that is better."

"At least you have sleeves. How am I going to get that, that bustier to stay up? There's no straps and I know I'll wind up with food falling down my cleavage!"

"Just poof up your bosom," suggested Fleur. "But too much and, _voila_, you will pop out."

"I think I'll just try an adhesion spell." Tonks lifted up her costume rather distastefully and held it before her dangling from two fingers.

The strapless black top was little more than a stiff corset overlayed by a filmy white skirt. She wouldn't be able to bend at the waist. As Tonks lifted the garment, she could see quite clearly through the material. "My legs will show through."

"At least you have a _petite queue_," said Fleur as she tweaked the puff of a tail on the back. "And the ears are _adorables_!"

Tonks noticed Wimples poking his head out and looking with interest at her outfit. She shoved him back under the bed with her toe before picking up the stiff bunny ears. She tentatively put them on her head and noticed a white collar with a bow tie and white cuffs. The ensemble looked oddly familiar. She seemed to remember a stash of Muggle magazines that Arthur had brought over for Sirius after the teens returned to Hogwarts. Playboy, was it?

Her half mask at least had a cute pink nose, she thought with a dismal attempt at optimism. The witch shook her head and said, "I don't see why I need collar and cuffs when there's nothing more to the dress! And the shoes have spiked heels. I'm doomed!"

And so the Little Lamb and the Playboy Bunny prepared for the Grimball.

"What do you suppose the men are wearing?" asked Tonks when they finally made it out to her living room. She was looking downward behind her back as she tried to get a glimpse of her tail. Wimples had been lurking about to get a good view as well.

"Eet does not matter. My Bill weel look handsome in anything, _n'est ce pas,_" said Fleur with confidence.

Her prediction proved to be accurate once the men made their appearance. Bill Weasley was dressed in a ginger coat with a large collar and hood that easily marked it as a lion's mane, but the shoulders of the coat were extended into griffon's wings. Unlike the women, the tail was generated by a design woven into the back of his coat.

"How handsome you look," gushed Fleur as Bill kissed her hand.

But Tonks was oblivious to the other two and also seemed to be ignoring Lupin. Actually, she felt so self-conscious with the ears protruding from her head, the tail attached to her rump and her legs showing through her skirt that she wasn't looking at the men at all but down at the floor.

Lupin's heart fell as he registered her reluctance to look at him. He had not expected Tonks to be so dismayed by his attire. In fact, while the tailcoat he wore was made to resemble the fur of a gray wolf, it had been cut to nicely fit his trim body. And instead of a long, tufted tail ridiculously hanging from his body, the tails of the garment worked perfectly to mimic the wolf's. The white ascot he wore gave the illusion of the white breast typically seen in wolves. Rather than having to suffer a hood, his masque was finely crafted with the alert ears of a wolf, but nothing menacing in the contours.

Lupin walked up quietly to Tonks and offered, "Nymphadora, if you want to abort this now, I'll understand."

He was referring to more than just the Grimball, but Tonks finally gained the courage to raise her eyes. The smile that lit her face gave Lupin no doubt that she approved.

"Remus! That's, I mean, you look, what's that old-fashioned word? Dashing," said Tonks breathlessly then grimaced. "I look like I belong in a Muggle magazine."

"Ah, yes, Playboy?" asked Lupin.

"How did you know?" countered Tonks. Lupin suddenly dropped his gaze and she said, "I'm having a serious talk with Sirius when we're through.:"

"Don't harass your poor cousin. You look quite fetching," said Lupin as he found he couldn't tear his eyes away from her legs. The young witch had very well-toned limbs, just the right proportion, and the sheer fabric made him want to--clear his throat. Then he immediately noticed someone else was interested in Tonks' attire. "Ahem, Wimples! Go."

The vorpal bunny had hopped onto the sofa and was about to bat at the bunny tail on Tonks' costume, but Lupin's tone of voice held a very strong threat.

The were-rabbit bounced away just as Fleur said, "The _lapin_! Oh, he eez hiding again."

"He's just shy," said Tonks. She gave a quick squeeze to Lupin's hand and said, "Let's get the ball rolling."

- - - - - - - - - -

_Gringott's Masquerate Ball_

After surrendering their wands at the door, the quartet arrived with masques in place to find the ballroom alight with color, fur, feathers and even scales. The cleverness of the costumes was worth inspection. The variety ranged from magical creatures such as a unicorn and a phoenix, to reptiles, felines, canines, and birds of all colors and sizes. Tonks could see how the ball was a subtle reminder to the Wizarding World that goblins were not some inferior race, but masters at their craft.

The Auror could also see why Lupin had hesitated about accepting the invitation. As they approached the crowd, several people pointed to the wolf in the group, whispered to each other, and immediately turned their backs. Lupin merely shrugged lightly when she looked at him as he walked. It was no less than what he expected.

Tonks was fuming at such behavior and whispered to her companions, "It's not right to let them treat Remus like this."

"Tonks, the situation calls for restraint," said Lupin quietly. He was under enough enough strain as it was, but didn't want to discuss it in present company.

"They should all be dressed as mannerless peegs," said Fleur haughtily and Tonks couldn't agree with her more.

"Too bad they confiscated our wands or I would grant your wish. Still, there's no reason we can't ease things a bit. This crowd just needs some friendly coaxing, a devil's advocate as it were," said Bill reassuringly. He glanced around quickly, found his first target, and slid into his most gregarious demeanor. "Oy, that's a nice costume, mate. Bantam rooster, is it? You must be..."

Bill was difficult to ignore with his easy manner. Even in the face of the discomfort of some of the congregation, he made introductions. He was careful to describe Tonks as an old classmate from Hogwarts and Fleur as a new intern at Gringott's. He always included Professor R.J. Lupin in his introductions and explained that the Professor was a friend of Fleur's headmistress at Beauxbatons. Still, although Tonks got a lot of comments about her costume and Fleur was warmly welcomed, Lupin continued to be excluded in the greetings extended by the majority of the guests.

Tonks considered the injustice of it all when they broke away from the latest crowd. Remus Lupin was as good as--in fact better--than most of the men here. The way he maintained his dignity and affable nature in light of the apparent discrimination was more than she could have done. She sighed. The dancing would begin soon but she was already tired of the masquerade. The only good thing was that she got to spend the evening with Lupin. She shook her head.

"Careful, those ears are pretty stiff," whispered Lupin as he leaned out of harms' way to avoid getting swatted by the appendages.

"Oh, Remus, I'm sorry. That last thing you need is a slap in the face," sighed Tonks.

"Oh, this is mild," assured Lupin, but it should be evident to the goblins that the lycanthrope was not on anyone's favorites list. "Don't fret on my account, Tonks. Everything has its purpose."

Tonks considered that a rather cryptic remark, then she groaned as she spied a man robed as a green serpent escorting a woman dressed to resemble a white--ferret was it?

"Wonderful, it's the Gruesome Twosome," murmured Tonks to her companions. "I wish Wimples were here."

"Now who could this be?" asked Lucius Malfoy loudly as he and his wife walked by them. "I'd think the Wolf has to be Remus Lupin, but surely Gringott's is more selective in their guest list."

Lupin didn't rise to the bait, but bowed lightly in greeting. "Fleur Delacour, this is Lucius Malfoy and his wife, Narcissa."

"Why, Lupin, you're escorting a little lamb? How quaint." Then Lucius leaned into Fleur and added, "Although be careful, my dear. You could be a snack later."

"I bet Fleur would be in more danger from your appetites, Uncle Luci," chimed Tonks. "Hello, Aunt Cissy. I would have known you anywhere."

Narcissa Malfoy scanned her niece distastefully and included both Bill and Lupin in her gaze. "Lucius, let's go. There's no one of importance here. And Miss Delacour, my son Draco told me all about you. When you want proper company, just send me a note and we'll have tea."

"_Au contraire, _Madame Malfoy, I do not lack for proper companions or proper manners, but my thanks for your _invitation_," said Fleur as she bowed prettily. She then turned and said, "But now I find I am thirsty. Let us get some wine, no?"

Fleur, who was standing between the men, tucked her arms in theirs and they began to walk away until Lupin pulled out to tug on Tonks' elbow. He warned, "Don't do it, Tonks."

"What? And break a family tradition?"

Sure enough, as Tonks' neck swiveled to look back, Narcissa was quickly sticking her tongue out at her niece, who returned the gesture in kind. Their movements were so fleeting that one could mistake it for merely wetting their lips.

"Was that really necessary?" asked Lupin, but his tone was clearly amused. He never thought he'd see such childish behavior from the cool Narcissa Malfoy.

"I blame Mum!" insisted Tonks. "She'd be very disappointed if I didn't return the gesture." Then as they saw the musicians taking their seats in the orchestra, she groaned. "I'm doomed."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Malfoy, you don't look happy," said Ragnok. The goblin had intercepted the couple intentionally. "You wouldn't want us to think you're not enjoying yourself."

"Of course I'm enjoying myself," muttered Malfoy before presenting a false smile that he quickly lost. "I'm just not the sort for exuberant displays."

"Do I need to remind you that you need to make the proper impression tonight?"

"My memory is fine, thank you," assured Malfoy. Indeed, Ragnok had explained that Malfoy and his colleagues were seen as too aloof by the goblins. He had been invited this year to specifically demonstrate an ability for tolerance.

"Good, good. Keep that in mind when the dancing begins. I see no reason that either you or your wife should decline any potential dance partner. They were all deemed worthy of invitation."

Ragnok's tone clearly indicated that the goblin standards should be good enough for anyone else. He gave them his best smile and left them disconcerted.

"Lucius, you don't think he means that I should dance with that, that unsavory fellow, do you?" Narcissa whined.

"Lupin wouldn't dare ask you to dance, my dear," said Malfoy with confidence as he sneered in the direction of Lupin, Tonks, Bill and Fleur. "There's no danger from that lot."

His words would come back to haunt him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tonks shared her first dance with Bill for appearance's sake, but took pity on him and ended it early. In fact, they both stood back and enjoyed watching Fleur and Lupin dancing gracefully. She nudged Bill in the gut with her elbow and said, "You're a lucky bloke, you know."

"I know," said Bill sincerely as he playfully flicked at one of her bunny ears. "So, is there something going on between you and Remus?"

Although she wanted to gush about Lupin, Tonks understood that he would rather they remain discreet, so she merely said, "That, Mister Weasely, is none of your business."

She followed through with a punch to his shoulder. As Bill rubbed the spot, he said, "You've got an arm like Ginny. No wonder the blokes are all afraid of you."

"I'm not afraid of her," said Lupin as he and Fleur approached the two. While Fleur floated to Bill, Lupin turned to Tonks and bowed gallantly. "Miss Tonks, may I have this dance?"

"It's your funeral," she said brightly, but she willingly went to his arms.

"Did I ever tell you about the funeral that Sirius cooked up when his owl died of old age?" asked Lupin. Tonks shook her head, so Lupin began. "Yes, Horus was a fine bird, but since his name was Egyptian, Sirius decided we needed to mummify him. You should have seen the sarcophagus I painted for Horus..."

Lupin continued in this vein with each of the five dances they shared as they alternated partners with Bill and Fleur and a few other more tolerant couples. Although Tonks danced stiffly with her other partners, Lupin had found the key to keep her from stumbling. Each story about the Marauders distracted Tonks sufficiently so that her body flowed naturally with Lupin's. As their last dance ended, Tonks finally realized she had made it thus far without embarrassing herself outright.

"Remus, do you realize that I haven't kicked you or tripped you or blackened your eye at all tonight?"

"Must be the bunny outfit. It has a magic all its own," added Lupin sincerely. Tonks looked rather cute with her pert little ears and the way she smiled at him made him feel special and not at all ugly.

But he was a man, so he also appreciated the way the gown revealed a creamy decolletage as well as her nicely shaped legs. And somehow the puffball of a tail suited Tonks.

The distraction both eased his mood for being in a situation where he was constantly being ostracized by people and added to the strain of controlling his behavior. Impure thoughts of Numphadora Tonks had never run so rampant, even when she was the unnamed water nymph of his fantasies. The Professor was having quite a task in keeping the Marauder at bay.

"My dad would say I was a bunny lass," said Tonks with a flash of her eyebrows.

"I think the proper term is bonny, but I won't split hairs over it," replied Lupin as he matched her pun. But Tonks was claimed almost immediately by a man wearing a mastiff costume.

"Nymphadora? Remember me? Matthew Blakeslee?"

"Er, yes," began Tonks.

Blakeslee took that as an invitation to dance and swept her away from Lupin. The Professor danced no more that night as he spoke with the small number of people who were willing to converse with him. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as a line of men cut in for a dance with Tonks. If memory served him well, Feldmus Droll, dressed like a muskrat, was one of her partners. Even Otto Steinhauer, who made his appearance as a goat, stole a dance, although he was very careful of where he put his hands. But with each man, Tonks stumbled because she was too stiff to relax.

Then Lupin noticed Ragnok approaching Lucius Malfoy. His wife was currently dancing with Rufus Scrimgeour, who was dressed as a lion. Curious about their interaction, Lupin quietly walked so he could stand behind them.

"Your wife seems to be getting into the festivities," said Ragnok as he stood beside Malfoy. "You should follow her example."

The comment earned the goblin a sideward glance, so Ragnok continued to provoke the man. "There's a popular girl, the little black rabbit."

His long, pointed finger indicated Nymphadora Tonks who was currently in the clutches of Edmund Burke, an associate of Malfoy's. Lucius smirked and said, "That would be my wife's niece, although the family has been estranged."

"Then I think you should dance with her, Malfoy," said Ragnok firmly. In fact, he made a point to catch her eye and wave Tonks toward them as the music ended.

Realizing who Ragnok was, Tonks shook off her latest partner, a man dressed as a boar, and scurried over when she noticed Lupin standing just a bit behind him. She was simply going to ignore Lucius Malfoy, but when she got to them, Ragnok said, "My dear, you and your uncle must dance. I insist."

Lucius held back a glare at the goblin and stiffly offered his arm to Tonks. For her part, Tonks took a deep breath, noted the cautious look that Lupin cast her way, and complied. She was not going to embarrass herself or her companions. She was going to be mature! As she struggled with the battle within her, the orchestra was gradually added a new set of players.

"You dance just like your mother," said Lucius with a mock smile as the music began at a slow tempo.

Tonks couldn't believe he was trying to make nice with her. "I wouldn't know."

"Really? Why, my dear, your mother was a poor dancer, too, but she did make up for it in other ways," he murmured as he let his eyes rake across her bosom.

The suggestive comment made her blush with her anger, but then his next comment sealed his fate.

"Of course, no man would want to touch you if he knows you let Lupin at you first," suggested Lucius with a hint of real concern. "I'd stick with sharing the Weasley boy with the veela if I were you."

It was at this point that the music suddenly changed from the formal melodies to the more contemporary music of the younger wizards and witches. The Weird Sisters had taken the stage and the music now gained a faster beat.

That was all the encouragement that Tonks needed. "Let me show you what a good dancer I am, Uncle."

She didn't have to do anything, really. She just let her clumsiness take over, but in an odd way, her jerking movements matched the beat much better than her restrained attempts at dancing. Her right hand went up and caught his chin, followed closely by her left hand in the same motion. Malfoy tried to grab her hands to restrain her, but a bruise to each shin as she kicked in rhythm convinced him to release her.

Malfoy was not about to be outdone by a woman, so he tried to grab her shoulders. Instead he was slapped by the bunny ears as Tonks shook her head while the rest of her body shimmied to the music. He next targeted her waist, but was met with an elbow to the gut. Oh, that felt good, so she repeated it as she turned even as Lucius tried to dodge.

"Why, you little--" began Lucius.

A pirouette of her own unique execution turned into a kick to his bum. "That's from my mum."

Tonks was about to walk away in satisfaction when her spiked heels made her stumble head first into his back. The two wound up tripping as they both tried to regain their balance and instead landed on their rumps.

Luckily Tonks' puffy tail cushioned her fall, but as she sat there in satisfaction when she saw the dirty look Malfoy directed her way, she also realized that they were the center of attention--and probably had been for most of their 'dance.'

Bill actually looked chagrined while Fleur was shaking her head in disbelief. Gringott's had never hosted such a brawl before. Tonks bit her lip as Lupin quietly walked to her side and put her on her feet. He offered a hand to help Malfoy up, but the man batted him away for all the ball to see.

"Looks like we've got a lively crowd tonight," cried the lead singer of the Weird Sisters to break the silence. He recognized the pink hair as the little Auror who had served as security detail for the band during her training a few years ago. As the music introduced the next song, he called, "You make a great vorpal bunny, Tonks! This one's for you. _Little bunny fufu, a-hoppin' through the..._"

Tonks stood there with her mouth gaping open until she heard Lupin whisper in her ear, "Wave at the nice man, Tonks."

She automatically followed his directive then let Lupin lead her away as the crowd finally turned their attention to the band and began dancing.

Bill and Fleur fell in beside Lupin and Tonks and marched them to the elder goblins watching the events from the balcony. Bill spoke in his normal, relaxed tone. "We had best call it a night, sirs. Our companions are obviously exhausted. We were truly honored to take part in the festivities. Please forgive the disruption."

Bill and Lupin bowed to their hosts while Fleur executed an elegant curtsy. All Tonks could do was dip her hips slightly, although she was certain the gesture failed to convey the proper respect. Bill ushered his party out in silence through the nearest exit.

The couples fled so quickly that they never got to hear the cackling of the old goblins. They had not been this entertained in a century!

- - - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

Lupin and Tonks were very quiet as they entered her flat without their masks. Although Wimples poked his head out when they came into the room, he settled for a quick snarl at Lupin before disappearing into his top hat. The expressions on both of their faces was quite serious.

They stood in the middle of the room and looked at each other.

"I'm so sorry." They stopped as they realized they had spoken together.

"I'm an embarrassment to you." The explanation was simultaneous.

"What do you mean?" Their question also coincided.

They stepped back from each other with a puzzled expression. Lupin tilted his head to indicate Tonks should go first.

She raked a hand through her hair to pluck off the ears and said, "I'm a public nuisance. Admit it."

When she was met with silence, she ran to her room and slammed the door--right on Lupin's nose.

"Ow!"

"Remus! Are you--?" Tonks pulled him into her room to get a better look at the damage.

Lupin just rubbed his nose as he blinked and said, "I'm fine, really."

"See there? Violence. It's my natural state of being," admitted Tonks dismally. "Why can't I have pretty manners like Fleur?"

Lupin shook his head, put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Didn't you see? I'm the one who's considered a public nuisance, Tonks. You saw how people avoided contact with me, even when Bill had introduced us. I can't even offer to help someone without being rejected."

"Malfoy would have rejected anyone but his Dark Lord, Remus. And I don't regret a single bruise I gave him," asserted Tonks, then winced and added, "It's just the making a spectacle of myself while I was at it that bothers me. You must think I'm some immature brat, but he was insulting you, Bill and Fleur, and even Mum!."

"Actually, I was taking mental notes as I watched the incident so that I could report it later to Sirius," admitted Lupin with a guilty shrug.

"You weren't--I didn't embarrass you?" asked Tonks hopefully.

"Nymphadora Tonks, I ran with the Marauders. You're nothing in evoking chaos compared to Sirius Black," offered Lupin in assurance. Then his voice became serious again as he said, "Besides, people will only point to my bad influence on you. You weren't standing by listening to the murmurs. 'It must be that werewolf's fault. It makes anyone around him vicious, dangerous.'"

"How could anyone blame you for my behavior? Oh, that is so wrong! And it was only some of the people who, who spurned you."

"It was sufficient to convince the goblins that I understand discrimination first hand," said Lupin with a sigh. "Maybe now they'll listen to us."

"Wait. Do you mean you were put on display in this wolf costume just to satisfy their curiosity?"

"Silver knives or masques, they're all just part of a never-ending set of gauntlets that I face. You don't want this, Nymphadora." Lupin approached her with regret and put a penitent hand on her shoulder. "I never should have let this drag out this long. You deserve--"

"Are you thinking that I would just give up on us because of the prejudice I witnessed tonight?" asked Tonks in wonder. She batted his hand from her shoulder and said accusingly, "You have so little faith in me?"

"You're young--"

"And stubborn," said Tonks as she craned her neck to look up at him and glared through the tears threatening her eyes. "If you don't want me then just say it."

"Not want you? Nymphadora, do you know what affect that silly but sexy outfit has had on me all night?"

"No," said Tonks honestly as her voice lost some belligerence. "Other than our dances, you seemed to be avoiding touching me, especially on the carriage ride home."

Lupin stood there dumbfounded. She really was clueless. "Tonks, I was avoiding touching you because my impulse control was already strained. I thought you were ready to dissolve this relationship on the ride here."

Tonks cautiously took his hands in hers and said, "You promised me three dates, Remus." She looked into his eyes. "Three dates, no less. Three dates to show you that, that I l--."

"Don't say it," pleaded Lupin, but he drew her into his embrace and whispered. "Don't say words that I won't be able to return."

Tonks squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the tear finally escaping. He didn't want to hear that she loved him. Why was his heart beating so fast then? And why was he holding her as if he didn't want to let her go? "You don't want me to say I love you?"

Lupin closed his eyes and tried to rein in the exultant feelings that were swamping him. Tonks loved him? This was the most wonderful disaster he had ever been blessed with. It would be wrong to encourage her, but he couldn't lie.

He cautiously murmured, "I don't want you to waste your life with the likes of me."

She sagged against him in relief. Always it was about wanting something better for her, not rejecting Nymphadora Tonks outright. She had so many flaws to send him out the door, but every time, his excuses centered on him. She took a deep breath.

"Two more dates, Remus. You promised; it's not a lifetime." But I'm hoping it will be, she thought.

Lupin cursed himself for the weakling he was, but whenever she was in his arms, it felt so right. He agreed before he could stop himself. "Two more dates."

They stood there holding each other with Lupin gently swaying with her. Her voice was light as she murmured, "Too bad we don't have some music. I think I could actually dance."

Lupin stopped their movements and quickly had the wireless in her flat emitting a slow song. He didn't speak a word, but for the first time, they completed a dance without a single stumble.

"I think you've got it," said Lupin in clear delight.

"Then as my reward I think you should," here Tonks stopped and looked upward as if considering her options, "stay."

"I--"

She stopped him with a kiss and said again, "Stay."

He shouldn't. He needed to walk away from--the woman he loved. The Marauder in him ultimately won the wrestling match with the Professor, so soon he was kissing her passionately. Then he suddenly asked, "Tonks, did you put an adhesion spell on this thing?"

"Huh?" asked Tonks. She had been too overwhelmed by the strong sensations to notice the liberties Lupin was taking. But instead of protesting, she admitted, "As a matter of fact, I did."

"No matter," said Lupin as he succeeded.

"Damn, you're good," said Tonks as she pulled him down for a kiss.

And indeed, she was so impressed that she expanded certain liberties that Lupin was allowed this night, but that isn't what kept him with her. It was the echo in his mind of the words, "I love you..."

_End of Chapter_

Minor Edits

Author Notes:  
Thank you for being patient and waiting for this chapter. Holiday guests and travel plans account for much of the delay. I wanted to present the first public date for Remus and Tonks. I hope it illustrated the negative way Lupin gets treated without going over the top.

The Malfoys, on the other hand, were intended to be one-dimensional for this situation. I have grown to appreciate the character of Narcissa Malfoy after Book 6, but at this point, Voldemort has just returned and the future looks rosy. She hasn't felt the sacrifice yet.

I hope I was able to keep Bill and Fleur in character. Please pardon my French; I only recognize phrases in the language. It's also difficult to write Fleur's accent. Again, in my mind, these dates explain why Fleur is able to say that Tonks is clumsy and isn't taking care of her appearance since we don't see the two girls together.

The Grimball is obviously not canon, but I've had the images of the costumes running around in my mind. I also thought it would be cool to have invitations delivered by petulant ravens. Ragnok is specifically mentioned by Lupin in Book 5, so I assumed they had a friendship of sorts.

I couldn't resist the Playboy bunny outfit for Tonks. Obviously, Lupin can't either, but no, they haven't gone so far as to consummate their relationship. Again, I think the reason Tonks was so upset in Book 6 was not due to unrequited love, but because she and Remus had actually explored a relationship to a certain level before they lost Sirius. And yes, I was having fun with Remus and Sirius 'dancing.'

Thank you for reading, reviewing and understanding the humor.


	13. Magical Dimensions

Summary: After Arthur's attack at the Ministry, we find Remus diminished and Tonks rather childish as they fall victim to magical glass. LOOOOOOOOOOONG! 

**Nymph vs Wolf**  
_**Dimensions of Magic**_

_December 18_

Nymphadora Tonks yawned widely as she updated the numbers in the annual report known as the Aurora Annus Nuntio Totus or AANT. Her days were spent conducting follow-up interviews of both perpetrators and victims. Her nights of late had alternated between guard duty for the Order and staying at the Ministry to make corrections or adding notations to the AANT.

The only good thing about her current situation was that it didn't interfere with time she could spend with Remus Lupin. He had been sent on a mission the day after the Grimball and had been gone for the past ten days. She had been hoping the Grimball would prove to Lupin that they could be seen together in public, but instead he thought they needed to resume their caution around Scrimgeour.

She was now slumping at her desk amid several stacks of parchment, but quickly came alert when she heard the rap on her office door. "Yes?"

"Excuse me, Miss, but I was told you needed some facts verified pertaining to lycanthropes for your annual report." Lupin poked his head inside her office and smiled. One could barely see the top of the woman's pink hair given the columns of parchment in front of her.

Although she had declared she loved him, while Lupin was away, the old insecurities had reared their head. The Professor had worried that Scrimgeour would convince Tonks to avoid him altogether given the outcome of the Grimball. He was relieved when he heard her delighted tone of voice.

"Wotcher, Remus!" Tonks rose and quickly approached him. She stood there for a moment struggling against kissing him, but instead dragged him into her office and firmly closed her door. Then she poked his shoulder and said, "I thought you were still out on mission?"

"I came back when I got an owl telling me I needed to verify some facts for the Auror statistics," said Lupin. "And then Sirius mentioned you were the one gathering the information, so I thought it was safe to drop by."

"It's my punishment for being a dancing hazard at the Grimball. I got assigned the follow-up interviews for the AANT so that I could learn proper decorum and comportment for an Auror," said Tonks in a voice that mimicked her superior. She reached out with a hand to tangle with his and moved to lean against her desk. "Then Scrimgeour got the bright idea that I needed to learn patience as well, so I also get to write the final draft. My biggest problem is trying not to doodle little ants on the parchment ."

"You did say this was a punishment," said Lupin and was rewarded by a swat on the shoulder at his pun, but she also gave his hand a light squeeze. "When do you finish here?"

"I'll be done with this in thirty minutes--if I don't have any more interviews," said Tonks archly.

"How about I go wait at your flat and come back tomorrow for my official debriefing?" offered Lupin.

"That would be perfect, but are you sure Sirius should be alone? Something's happened between him and Emmeline. He's been rather depressed."

"She used the C-word on him," explained Lupin, but when Tonks quirked an eyebrow, he quickly added, "Children."

"Children! You're kidding, I mean, they're not even engaged or, or living together or--"

"According to Sirius, Emmeline has suddenly decided she wants a child and has designated your cousin as the best candidate for the father. And she's not doing this to trap him into marriage. She wants a child, but no ties to the Black fortune or family name or--"

"Sounds more like she just wants a sperm donor," sighed Tonks. "Poor Sirius."

"He doesn't know whether to be more upset about losing his convenient sexual outlet or the fact that Emmeline thinks he'd simply father a child with her and walk away." Lupin shook his head. "Personally, of the Marauders, only James Potter was father material."

Tonks cocked her head simply observed, "I think you're selling yourself short, Remus." But the last thing she wanted to do was scare the man away with talk about babies, so she asked, "At least Sirius had the sense to break things off with her."

"Yes, and he felt better after we talked. Of course, I began by emptying the bottle of fire whiskey I found him drinking when I got home," admitted Lupin. "I sent him to bed before I came here, so he'll be fine."

"You know, I wish he wasn't alone so much, but even when I go visit, he prefers solitude. He's still paying the price for Azkaban," sighed Tonks. "But on a brighter note, guess who's looking for a shop for rent in Diagon Alley?"

Lupin leaned forward and guessed correctly. "Fred and George Weasley? I remember you said you ran into them at Zonko's in October when you were following a lead on a case."

"Yeah, I was a very tall, rather old woman for that one, but the two were definitely making firm plans on setting up their own joke shop. So when I had to interview Dung the other day, he confessed he was keeping an eye out for vacant properties in exchange for a small finder's fee. After I inspected the places he had in mind, I convinced him to take a very small fee and to only offer two of them. The others were, I don't know, tainted somehow."

"Molly and Arthur will thank you for that, after they kill Fred and George."

"I was going to keep quiet about it unless they asked me specifically," admitted Tonks, "although I did tell Bill. He thinks he can arrange a loan for the boys once they're out of school."

"I agree, the boys should take the responsibility of telling their parents about their enterprise," said Lupin. He stood up and said, "I won't keep you any longer. We can talk more when you get back home."

"All right then. Er, wait. There's something--" Tonks seemed to have lost her line of thought as she looked into his eyes before declaring, "You really are too bloody tall."

Her rambling had sufficiently perplexed the Professor so that he now stood perfectly still. Tonks rose to her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on his lips. She drew back a bit shyly and then suddenly straightened as she remembered her original intent.

Tonks darted around her desk and pulled a bag from under it. Offering it to Lupin, she asked, "Would you mind taking these radishes for Wimples?"

"Done," said Lupin, but as soon as he turned his back on her, he reversed direction, pulled her abruptly to him and kissed her mouth thoroughly.

"Very well done," murmured Tonks when they broke apart.

He gave her shoulder a light squeeze before leaving the office, this time without detour, but mumbling something about walking to her flat so the cold air would clear his head.

Tonks chuckled at the way she could befuddle the Professor, but wound up bumping against her desk as she regained her equilibrium. She returned to her labor in a much brighter mood but soon was interrupted again.

"You! Girl! Hello!"

Tonks stiffened and looked around.

"This is urgent Order business. Pay attention now."

Tonks finally rose and approached the portrait hanging on the wall. "What's wrong?"

"Casualty in the guard. Snake bite. Hurry!"

Tonks ran to the nearest floo as she simultaneously sent her Patronus after Lupin. She emerged in the hall near the door that was guarded by Arthur Weasley. Her stomach lurched when she saw the blood pooling under him. Only her previous training as a Healer prevented her from panicking or losing her supper. His pale face and shallow breathing was not a good sign. Furthermore, if Arthur were found here, it would endanger the Order as well as his job.

First she had to staunch the bleeding or Arthur's job at he Ministry would be a moot point. She placed her hand on the wound and chanted softly. There was no change in the blood flow. She took a deep breath and thought about sending another Patronus after Lupin when she saw his lanky form stepping out of the floo.

Within moments Remus Lupin was at her side. Although the sight before him reminded him of Molly's boggart, he kept his voice calm. "What happened to Arthur? Tonks, are you hurt, too?"

"I'm fine, but Arthur has a snake bite," said Tonks. "Remus, I need to staunch the bleeding and close the wound more or he won't survive the floo to St. Mungo's." Tonks took a deep breath before continuing. "If he had some of your life energy, the bond you have to Lyonesse..."

Tonks' voice dropped off. Lupin would need a lot of faith in her abilities to agree to the spell that would capture the essence of the healing powers Lupin carried from his bloodline. If she miscalculated, she would fail to save Arthur and Lupin would be left as a lifeless husk. "I don't think you could transfer enough to Arthur without losing consciousness. Will you trust me to cast the transfer spell?"

Lupin frowned for a moment before nodding his assent. The Weasleys had become a surrogate family to him over the last few months. This wasn't a sacrifice, it was a completely selfish act on his part because he was confident that Tonks would succeed. "Do it."

He put his arms around Arthur's shoulders and focused while Tonks chanted the song that would transfer part of his life energy into Arthur. "_Dono vivificus vigoratus_."

While Tonks chanted the spell, Lupin focused on his mantra: _Lyonesse lives_. He knew he would pay the price later, but it was a small penalty if he could sustain Arthur's life just long enough to get proper help. A sense of relief swept him as he saw the blood literally flowing back into Arthur's body.

"His color is better," said Tonks with relief then inspected the wound. "It's still bleeding, but less than before. The wound is closed enough so that we can move him. How do you feel?"

"Like the morning after a bad full moon," admitted Lupin.

He didn't have the energy to protest when Tonks then shifted the transfer spell to share some of her life energy with Lupin. It was the same she had offered when he had expended his own fighting the manticore in Grimmauld Place, but it was enough to bring some color back to the Professor.

Lupin levitated Arthur and put his arm around his shoulder. "I'll get him to St. Mungo's and give them some story about Arthur helping me search for a serpent. Update the Order. "

"I'll get Mad-eye and King here to search, then get Bill so we can tell Molly," Tonks promised before she watched Lupin move to the floo with Arthur.

"Well?" The question came from the portrait on the wall.

Tonks didn't bother looking up. "Arthur's been transported to St. Mungo's. I'll do a sweep of the premises and summon more help."

The Auror took a deep breath and blinked away the tears looming in her eyes. She had to attend to her duty.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_St. Mungo's_

Tonks and Bill escorted Molly to St. Mungo's and were met immediately by Remus Lupin. The Professor looked wan, but his calm voice offered Molly more reassurance than she gained from listening to the Healers. But Tonks could see that Lupin was at his limits as well, so as soon as Molly and Bill went to see Arthur, she turned to Lupin.

"You need to get some rest. There's nothing we can do for Arthur at this point and Bill is here for Molly," said Tonks.

"What about the children?" asked Lupin as he raked a weary hand through his hair.

"They're waiting with Sirius at number twelve, even Harry," said Tonks. "Do you want to go to them?"

Lupin shook his head as he put an arm over her shoulders. "I'm no good to anyone right now. I don't want to be another burden on Sirius. Merlin, I wish I were pint-sized so you could carry me."

"Just hold on and I'll get us home," assured Tonks.

They apparated outside the door to her flat. Tonks opened the door and for once, Wimples wasn't snarling at Lupin. Instead he scampered ahead of them to her bedroom as Lupin continued to lean on Tonks before he collapsed onto the bed. The Professor remained completely oblivious when Tonks undressed him or when, after the tired witch finally curled up beside him, Wimples plopped himself across his ankles.

- - - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

Twenty hours later, Lupin began stirring when he felt a familiar body lying on top of him. "Shove off, Wimples."

He twitched a foot to get the were-rabbit to move off of his ankles, but Wimples decided to hop onto his chest. Lupin opened his eyes to find the vorpal bunny twitching his whiskers at him and bending an ear to tweak his nose.

"Wimples! Don't poke at Remus," admonished Tonks. She was dressed in a t-shirt and pajama shorts, but was carrying a tray with a bowl of soup and a potion. Her pet jumped off of his chest and watched the two with interest as Tonks helped Lupin sit up.

"What time is it?" Lupin asked as Tonks levitated the tray in front of him. "Any news about Arthur? Did you find any signs about who did this?"

"It's ten o'clock at night and Arthur is over the worst of it." Tonks smiled at all the questions because they obviously indicated he hadn't noticed his current state of undress. "Now drink up that potion and I'll tell you the rest of the story. Yeah, I know, it tastes like pea soup, so don't make that face at me."

"Are you referring to the legume or the--"

"Drink it up," warned Tonks sternly. As he made a face and gulped it down she said, "Really, Remus, sometimes you're like dealing with a little boy."

"That was truly putrid," said Lupin with a shudder. "And a little boy wouldn't have my vocabulary."

"I can't argue with that. Now drink the broth. Molly made it, helped keep her mind off of Arthur, in fact."

"Mm, that's good, masks flavor of the potion," said Lupin as he brought the bowl up to sip the broth.

Tonks sat cross-legged on the bed beside him as she informed, "Now I'll answer your questions. We didn't find a sign of how the intruder got in, but Mad-Eye's betting that it was the pet snake, Nagini."

"That would make sense. Did they buy our story about Arthur helping me hunt a serpent?"

"Yes, in fact, Scrimgeour has added another item to your list of sins," said Tonks. Then she mimicked Scrimgeour's voice as she said, "Lupin's enthusiasm for studying the Dark Arts almost cost Arthur his life."

"I'll accept his bad opinion of me if it means we drew off suspicion about guarding the door," said Lupin with a sigh. He finished off the broth and after setting the bowl on the tray, rubbed at his left shoulder. Suddenly he jerked and upset the tray. Tonks caught the mug that had contained the potion and luckily the bowl was empty, but it managed to land on top of Wimples' head.

"Where's my shirt!" Lupin demanded as he realized he was wearing nothing but boxers. He immediately submarined under the covers.

Tonks was trying not to laugh at how upset he was, especially with the covers drawn up to his nose. Instead she focused on the crockery that was hopping off her bed. She reached over to retrieve the bowl from Wimples before he leapt to the floor as she tried to think of what to say.

"Remus, calm down, no one but me has seen you here," began Tonks as she remembered the volley of visitors that had arrived when he recovered from the silver screening. "Sometimes the transfer spell produces a symmetrical effect on the donor. I stripped you down to your boxers so that I could monitor you."

Lupin was controlling his breathing. He knew it was irrational, but the drain on him had brought back old fears about his body. "Fine, now can I have--what are you doing?"

Tonks slipped under the covers and was trying not to blush as she took off her top.

"See? Payback. Now will you settle down so we can both get some sleep? I'm tired. If you're up to it tomorrow, I'll interview you for the annual report or it can wait until the day after."

She didn't know where she got the courage to do this, and her heart was beating rapidly, but once she snuggled against Lupin and felt the skin to skin contact, she sighed happily and said, "Good night."

Lupin immediately surrendered when he felt the warm skin against his chest. His arms came down around her. He only had the energy to caress the smooth skin of her back, but suddenly he didn't feel like a morass of scars. He could only describe it as feeling whole.

The next time he woke, Lupin was alone, but his clothes had been laid out neatly except for the vorpal bunny nestled on top of this jumper. Wimples lifted his head as if he noticed Lupin staring at him and merely yawned.

Lupin smiled wickedly, "Get comfortable while you can, Wimples. I know what you're getting for Christmas."

- - - - - - - - - - -

_December 21  
Ministry of Magic_

"Do you have any more questions?" asked Remus Lupin rather formally. He sat in an interview room with Nymphadora Tonks at the insistence of her superior. They had covered the issues involved with the silver screening in detail. He knew that Scrimgeour was probably monitoring them, but it was interesting to see the rather stoic, emotionless persona that Tonks presented.

"I believe I have all the information I need for the report," assured Tonks with utmost formality. She cleared her throat and added, "I do need to review your statements regarding the recent incident in which you endangered Arthur Weasley with your pursuit of knowledge of the Dark Arts."

"Ah, that," said Lupin with a frown. "I truly regret what happened to Arthur, but hunting accidents are a customary risk when investigating Dark Creatures."

"We understand the need to take risks, but jeopardizing the well-being of another is rather callous," said Tonks without looking up. Her tone conveyed nothing but censure, however.

"I had every intention of going alone, but Arthur was concerned, so I agreed to his company."

"I see from our records that you were in Cornwall when it happened."

"We tracked the _Vipera hemophilus_ into the Royston Cave at Hertfordshire where it slipped into another tunnel. I left Arthur at the entrance with instructions to get help if I didn't emerge within ten minutes."

"You didn't stop to think you were putting him in danger?" Again, Tonks' voice conveyed disapproval.

"I failed to anticipate that the serpent would double back and attack Arthur."

"And why would this Dark Creature attack Arthur Weasley and not you?"

"I can only assume that it targeted a man who was clearly human and untainted by lycanthropy."

Tonks finally looked up and nodded. "Mister Weasley declined to press charges against you for reckless endangerment, but henceforth we recommend that you avoid any more activities that imperil Ministry employees."

Lupin nodded. "I'll go hunting alone in the future."

"Well, then, this seems to be everything. I'll escort you out of the building."

Lupin rose and said, "That won't be necessary."

"Scrimgeour thinks it is," murmured Tonks under her breath as she tapped the sheets of parchment on the desk. She gave Lupin a false smile. "I insist."

Lupin merely nodded, but as they left the Auror offices, he could see Tonks beginning to relax. As they walked to the atrium, she murmured, "Sorry 'bout that. Will I see you later?"

He quietly said, "I have to return to my mission. I won't be back until Christmas."

"I'll be with family, but," Tonks looked at the floor and asked, "can I see you that evening?"

"I'll be there," assured Lupin as he opened the door. In a louder voice he said, "Miss Tonks, Happy Christmas."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

Lupin quickly apparated to Grimmauld Place and walked to number twelve. It felt uncomfortable to leave Tonks this way, but the interview was just another chance for her to see what they would have to face together.

He sighed as he made his way up to his room to pack, but as he was gathering his things, he heard a loud crash above him. He would have ignored it except for the fact it came from the room currently assigned to the twins.

"Fred, George, what's going on here?" asked Lupin as he apparated in front of their door.

"Nothing." "All's well."

As he heard scuffling on the other side, Lupin reached to open the door only to find it warded. Not bad, but not enough to keep a Marauder at bay. He opened the door to find two ghostly white figures kneeling in front of a box. The twins looked up at him and blinked their eyes.

"Gentlemen," began Lupin as he recognized the powder that layered them from head to toe, "cooking should be confined to the kitchen."

"We weren't cooking," said George as he coughed out a puff of flour.

"We were just looking," added Fred, "but the chest was booby-trapped."

Lupin stepped back as the boys shook their heads and sent a fine swirl of powder around them. He flicked his wand efficiently to remove the white dust. "Well, there's no sense in making more work for your mother. What do you have there?"

"We found it in here," began Fred. "We were just curious," added George.

"You know there are a lot of Dark Arts hidden in this house," said Lupin as he dropped to one knee to peer into the box. "You should have let one of us inspect it."

"We're not children, Professor." "We're of an age to fight for the Order, especially after what happened to Dad." "If Tonks can be in it, we should be, too." "We're bigger than she is and not as clumsy."

Lupin took note of their disgruntled faces. "Tonks is on the petite side and definitely clumsy, but just because she makes sure she's always cheerful around the lot of you, don't forget that she's an Auror."

Fred and George looked at each other with a bit of guilt. George began with, "Don't get us wrong, Professor, we like Tonks and all, but it's just--"

"I've seen that clumsy girl take on a fire demon, a lethifold, a variety of maleficent plants, and a manticore. And that was during her days off," said Lupin. "I assure you that her agility didn't compromise those situations because, unlike you, she's been trained to face these dangers."

"We know she's a feisty one, Professor, we didn't mean any disrespect."

"It's just, well, we could have been guarding the door instead of Father," ended Fred. "It's not fair. If only Mum would let us leave school so we could--"

"Get killed?" asked Lupin calmly. "Look, I've taught both of you so I know that you are brilliant wizards, but have you considered that the Order needs you at Hogwarts to help Harry?"

Fred and George looked at each other as if the thought had never crossed their mind. "But we've always helped Harry. We don't have to be in the Order to do that."

"We're part of the DA at Hogwarts because we want to be fighters."

"The Order doesn't need fighters; we need defenders. We don't need rash young men jeopardizing our chance to finally deal with Voldemort," explained Lupin. "But Harry Potter does need all the friends he can get, friends he can count on."

"So you're saying that we're more valuable to the Order as students at Hogwarts?"

"For the time being, yes, just as Tonks is valuable to us in the Auror offices," said Lupin. "Although I would encourage you to continue making your plans for your joke shop in Diagon Alley."

"How did you know about that?" asked George. "It was Dung, wasn't it? He can't keep his mouth shut."

"He did mention that he's keeping an eye out for certain properties to become available, but that was after Tonks pinned him on it," said Lupin. "Just be thankful that your mum avoids him like the plague. Your secret is safe from her."

"How did Tonks find out?" asked a bewildered Fred.

Lupin smiled. "Do you remember that tall, gray haired woman you met at Zonko's in October?"

"You're kidding." "That was Tonks?"

"That's why she's an Auror and you're still at Hogwarts," said Lupin with a smile as he closed the lid on the box. "Now, I'll just take this chest out of harm's way. I'm sure you two have several ideas to develop for your future enterprise."

Lupin levitated the chest and left the room.

"Fred?"

"Yes, George?"

"Let's go play with the toys he didn't confiscate."

"You mean this magnifying glass?" asked Fred as he pulled it out from under the mattress.

"Of course, and this prism," added George as he removed the crystal.

The twins were soon absorbed in uncovering the secrets of their new treasures.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Christmas Day_

Lupin opened the front door of Tonks' empty flat. He knew he was early, but he had something for Tonks and was getting anxious about giving it to her. He had not seen her since their less than friendly interview at the Ministry. Although she had invited him over, a part of him wondered whether her wish to see him now was to tell him she had come to her senses about him.

He paused for a moment when he entered because a rainbow colored sausage vaulted in his direction. Or rather, it sort of teetered to him before losing balance and flopping over.

_Snift, snift._ The high pitched snarl was the best the were-rabbit could do in his present situation.

"I see you got your Christmas present." Lupin addressed the vorpal bunny in a rather sympathetic tone.

Wimples was sheathed in a rainbow jumper and looked like a fat sausage about to burst from its casing. His ears suddenly drooped as if he realized it was no use trying to threaten a werewolf when one resembled a multicolored caterpillar lying on its back.

Lupin knelt in front of him and asked, "She didn't quite estimate the size of your tummy right, did she? I must admit, I haven't seen such a miserable sight. Here."

He flicked his wand and the whole jumper unraveled. Wimples took several deep breaths atop a nest of yarn as Lupin walked to the sofa to sit and wait for Tonks. He pulled a box from his pocket and was fidgeting a bit when he heard the familiar pop of an apparation. Lupin tucked the box away as he waited for her to enter.

Nymphadora Tonks threw her door open. The bells on the pointed toes of her shoes rang out as she ran inside to change out of the outfit she had been forced to wear when she visited her parents for Christmas.

_Ching, ching, ching. Splat!_

She stumbled over Wimples and landed on her knees with the pointed red hat she was wearing falling over her eyes. She shoved it off her head only to find Lupin watching her with a bemused expression.

"Remus!" Her face was soon flush with embarrassment.

"Tonks, why are you dressed--"

"Granpa Tonks!" blurted the young woman as she sat back on her haunches. "Ever since he saw Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on the Muggle telly, he has to dress up as Father Christmas, I mean, Santa Claus, but he can't be a proper Santa Claus unless he has an elf and so every year Mum sews a new outfit for me to wear, so it's not my fault that I look like a refugee from the North Pole, besides which all my little cousins would be very disappointed if Santa didn't show up and I have a lot of little cousins because every other pregnancy on the Tonks side of the family is twins and, and, well, I can't help it if Tonks breed like rabbits! No offense, Wimples."

Wimples merely cocked one ear as if to remind his mistress that he obviously wasn't engaging in such lecherous activity. That's when Tonks noticed he was nesting on what had been his Christmas present.

"Wimples! You're supposed to wear the jumper not sit in it," admonished Tonks.

But her pet bounced away quickly and jumped into his top hat with the threads trailing behind him. They watched as the last bit of yarn swirled into the hat and disappeared.

"It'll make a fine nest," assured Lupin after he cleared his throat. There was no way he was going to admit he had been the perpetrator, but he did move forward to help her to her feet.

"I suppose it was a rather snug fit for a jumper," admitted Tonks. She fingered the hem of her elfen skirt and sighed. "I was hoping to get here before you saw me in this. I think next year I'll have Alice, my little twelve-year old cousin, be the elf."

"You look fine, but now you have me wondering who dresses as Rudolph?" queried Lupin as he held her hand.

"My father," said Tonks with a sudden laugh. "My cousins all think its a costume, but he actually uses a spell for antlers, ears and glowing red nose."

"Do the little cousins have to dress up?"

"The little ones get to dress as cherubim, makes me wish I were four years old again," said Tonks with a pout. "But how did it go at number twelve? And how was Arthur?"

"We had a merry time and Arthur was in good spirits today. He had a roommate, a man who suffered a werewolf bite during the last full moon. I spoke with the fellow, but I'm not sure it did much good."

"I wonder what's worse? Being bitten as a child or as an adult," murmured Tonks.

"I've never really known a life without lycanthropy," said Lupin. Then a name escaped his lips that he had not mentioned in years. "Fenrir Greyback."

"Fen--You were bitten by Fenrir Greyback?" asked Tonks. The man was the very essence of everything negative associated with lycanthropes.

"It was a long time ago," said Lupin. "And I don't want to think about it."

Tonks then bit her lip and shyly recommended, "Then maybe you should kiss me instead?"

It was odd how his heart skipped a beat at her words. He leaned in to kiss her, but suddenly they drew apart and burst out laughing.

_Ching, ching, ching._

The bells on her toes had begun jingling because Wimples had decided to pop out of his hat and attack them.

"Wimples," said Tonks with an exasperated sigh. The vorpal bunny hopped about merrily, then scurried into the kitchen to forage. Tonks shook her head. "Look, I need to change out of this, but we're continuing where we left off, so get comfortable. And I have a present for you."

Lupin shrugged out of his jacket and relaxed on the sofa. Tonks soon returned wearing a blue sweater dress with long sleeves that had been pushed up to her elbows and her feet were bare. The material clung nicely to her body as she moved toward him carrying a package. She hesitantly offered it to him. "I thought, well, here."

Lupin smiled diffidently as he accepted the present and pulled the box out of his pocket again. He cleared his throat and said, "I have something for you, too. It's not much, really, but..."

He ended with a shrug. Tonks was well aware that he had no money to spare on presents, so there really wasn't anything left to say.

The sat by each other feeling a bit self-conscious as they unwrapped the gifts. Lupin was the first to reveal his acquisition. The deep red and gold was perfectly alternated in stripes. "A Gryffindor scarf."

"I made it a bit long," said Tonks as Lupin continued to pull the material out of the wrapping, "but then, you are a tall man, so, uh..."

Her voice fell away and she looked down, but Lupin chose to express his gratitude physically with a soft kiss. "Thank you. It's perfect."

Tonks was smiling brightly as she turned her attention to her own package. She would have been happy with a chocolate frog, but the box contained a hemp bracelet adorned with sea shells, all of them the same shade of pink as her hair. "Remus, this is so pretty. You don't think I'll smash them or tear the band?"

She sounded quite anxious as she voiced her doubts, but Lupin pulled the bracelet out of the box and clasped it over her wrist. "It has a preservation spell, young lady, so I dare you to do your worse. Besides, I've never made a bracelet that's broken."

"You made this?" asked Tonks as she held up her hand to inspect it.

"It doesn't really take much skill and I'm an old hand at it, although I haven't made one in ages," said Lupin as he took her hand and stared at the bracelet. "Mum had a veritable rainbow that I made for her, a different color for each year I was at Hogwarts. She was buried with them."

Tonks was touched by the depth of the gesture. She squeezed his hand and said, "I am truly honored to wear this, Remus."

He smiled at her wistfully. He had lost his mother and he would inevitably have to lose Tonks when their three dates were completed, but it had felt so right to make it for her. It was a harmless enough memento, but he knew that each shell represented a lost chance to say--

"I love you," whispered Tonks as she leaned forward to kiss him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_December 26  
Grimmauld Place_

Lupin took the steps up to his room at Grimmauld place two at a time in the early morning while the rest of the house still slumbered. His thoughts were filled with the lovely sensations he now associated with Tonks. And he was feeling rather self-satisfied at the thought of how she responded to his touch.

He sighed, then recognized the flash of light that seemed to be emitted from the floor above him. He decided to walk quietly up to the twins' room. He intended to surprise them, so he opened the door without announcement and stepped into the room.

The twins heard the door creak open and oriented to it. The magnifying glass Fred held in his hand moved with him as he turned. Simultaneously, George raised his wand and the lens caught the light from his lumos spell. The beam then fell directly onto Lupin.

The twins moved quickly to cover the lens, but when they looked at the door, Lupin was gone! They looked at each other then slapped a hand across the other's mouth to prevent their mutual screams. On the count of three they withdrew their hands.

"Bloody hell, Mum's not gonna be happy with us," said George.

"Mum? I'm more afraid of Sirius. We just fried his best mate," moaned Fred.

"Boys?" The disembodied voice directed their attention toward the door.

"Professor Lupin?" asked Fred as he looked up.

"Are--are you in the spirit world?" added George.

"Or--hey, if he's invisible, we can corner the market--"

"I'm down here." There was a clear note of irritation to Lupin's voice.

Fred and George looked down to the floor and laughed in relief until they saw the frown on Lupin's face. "Professor, we're really sorry about this."

"I understand, gentlemen, but I recommend you get Sirius in here NOW." Lupin then added, "And have him contact Tonks."

"Yeah, right, we're on it."

"Uh, but you better move so that we don't, er, step on you."

Lupin crossed his hands over his chest and, with as much dignity as a man shrunken to a hand-sized doll could muster, moved out of their way.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Oh, he's so cute!" squealed Tonks as she gazed adoringly at the miniature Professor.

"Amazing, isn't he?" said Sirius as he quickly rubbed Lupin's head.

"Stop that! I am not a toy," chastised Lupin.

"Oh, he's getting ruffled," quipped Tonks, but she pushed a book closer to where Lupin stood on the desktop and said, "Here, sit down and relax. Now Fred and George said the light hit this lens and shrunk you?"

"Yes, and if this a minimocular lens as I suspect, I won't regain my proper size for a week!"

"Well, we can't leave him here," said Sirius with a wicked grin. "He'll be chased by Crookshanks and would make a tasty morsel for Buckbeak, not to mention Snuffles."

"Are you kidding? It's Molly and the girls we need to worry about. He's so adorable, they'll want to play with him like some doll," said Tonks. Her grin matched Sirius' for pure evil intent, especially since she reached out to ruffle Lupin's hair again.

Lupin batted away her hands. "You two are enjoying this far too much."

Tonks bit her lip, but then suddenly said, "It is quite a dollema."

Lupin rolled his eyes as the two cousins snickered. He actually stomped his foot to get their attention.

"Oh, he's getting short-tempered methinks," chirped Sirius.

They quit chuckling when they found their mouths suddenly taped shut. Lupin smiled up at them and said, "I might be less of a man than I usually am, but no less a wizard. Remember that."

The cousins nodded to him and remained looking duly chastised when he released them.

"You have to understand, Moony, I spent our youth wishing I had your height," admitted Sirius as he rubbed his mouth. "Enjoying the novelty of looking down on your is hard to resist."

"At least I can't complain about you being too tall," teased Tonks. "You can recuperate at my flat, unless you're afraid of Wimples?"

"Perfect," said Lupin as he slumped. "I've had dreams about this."

"It's not so bad, Remus," consoled Tonks. "You'll just have to put up with the short jokes for awhile. Hm, and I better take this with me while we're at it and this, too."

Tonks reached over to procure not only the magnifying glass, but also a prism that the twins had left on their desk.

"Take care of my little friend, Tonks," said Sirius. "I need to go release Fred and George from the levicorpus spell I used on them."

Tonks turned her attention to Lupin and sized him up. "It's probably best to save your magic until we get to my flat. For now I think you'll fit nicely in my pocket."

She reached for Lupin and carefully tucked him into the breast pocket of the Oxford shirt of her Auror uniform. "Comfortable?"

Lupin found the contour on which he rested to be rather cushy, but he leaned forward and let his arms hang over the top of the pocket, cleared his throat and said, "This is fine. Let's get some things from my room, then we can go."

Tonks made short work of packing for Lupin. "It's best if you wait to shrink these until you need them. Hm, let's see--oops! Well, they're not folded, but at least they're in the duffel. These books, too?"

"Just the brown one," said Lupin from his perch in her pocket. "The _Opus Oculum_ is an exposition on magical lenses."

"You know, I should have a talk with Fleur. She spent quite a bit of time studying crystals and what not at Beauxbatons. She might know a way to speed up reversing the effects."

"Madame Maxim showed me their collection of crystals and lenses; it was quite impressive," agreed Lupin with a nod. "Well, I suppose I'm ready. Let's go."

- - - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

Tonks entered her flat and set the prism and lens she had confiscated on kitchen shelf. She waved her wand in front of them, then said, "The magnifying glass has a magical aura, but not the prism. I'm definitely going to find Fleur and bring her over."

"That's a good idea, but if she treats me like some doll--"

"I won't let her get her hands on you, don't worry," assured Tonks. "You're my toy."

"Don't get any funny ideas," warned Lupin, but as he looked up, he could see her grin. She definitely was Sirius' cousin.

"I take very good care of my toys, Professor," proclaimed Tonks as she pointed to the teeniest ceramic tea set he had ever seen. It was on a shelf by her kitchen window. "I've had this one since I was as tall as your kneecaps, er, when you're your regular height."

"You know, when I get my height back, I'm going to spend a lot of time looming over you and enjoying it," said Lupin as Tonks walked to the sofa.

She carefully removed Lupin from her pocket and set him down. "I suppose you can use magic to take care of anything you need, but be careful and don't overextend yourself."

He promptly sat on the edge of a cushion and said, "I'm good at improvisation."

"I just need to meet with Scrimgeour about the AANT," said Tonks as she turned her hair a violent shade of purple. Scrimgeour hated it that way. "I'll chase down Bill and Fleur during lunch, but then I should be back early."

She leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on the top of his head before she left.

Lupin tapped his fingers on the edge of the cushion for a moment as he waited. As if on cue, Wimples hopped out of the kitchen and went directly for him.

_Snerf, snerf, snerf._

There was a rather victorious ring to the snarling, but Lupin held his ground as the vorpal bunny gave a mighty jump to reach the sofa.

"Fleur's coming," sang Lupin.

Wimples was scratching at thin air as he tried to turn his body toward the door. He landed on the floor with a thud, but then scurried as fast as his legs could take him and leapt into his top hat.

"Size doesn't matter, Wimples, brains do," murmured Lupin to himself in satisfaction.

He apparated into the kitchen and set about to make some tea and toast. It was a simple matter to levitate the teapot to the stove, but it did require some energy. However, as he was waiting for the water to boil and the toast to crisp, he took note again of the little ceramic tea set. It was just the thing.

Soon Lupin was sitting cross-legged on Tonks' kitchen counter with an empty box of biscuits serving as a table while he enjoyed his tea and toast. He was reading the Daily Prophet where it lay open on the kitchen floor with the distance being perfect for reading. He lifted his tea cup and thought the next week could pass rather comfortably.

Lupin spent the day testing the limits of his magic given his diminutive size. Apparation was no problem. The success of summoning, levitating, and shrinking spells depended on the relative size of the object. After reading up on lenses in the tome he had brought with him, conveniently shrunk to one quarter of its size, he decided to take a nap.

He was leaning back against a cushion, but couldn't get comfortable. So he apparated into the bedroom to settle down to sleep on Tonks' douvet. He was just getting comfortable when he heard the familiar sound.

_Snerf, snerf, snerf._

Wimples had leapt onto the bed and was looming over Lupin. The Professor suddenly sat up and called, "Fleur, how good to see you!"

_Pooft!_ Wimples left a halo of fuzz in his wake as he fled the bedroom to hide in his top hat.

"Ah, Wimples, you've never heard of a wolf crying wolf?" Lupin snuggled comfortably into the bedcovers that still carried Tonks' scent and was soon fast asleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lupin was having an afternoon cup of tea as he read another passage about lenses. He was comfortably propped on the sofa when his nemesis once again made an appearance.

_Snerf, snerf, snerf._

Lupin said the magic word, "Fleur."

But this time the vorpal bunny was not going to be fooled. His snarl gained menace and his eyes grew feral as he stalked toward Lupin. This time, he would not be tricked!

"Wimples, you should really hide while you have the chance. Fleur really is coming."

Lupin's calm tone of voice made the were-rabbit stop in his tracks for a moment, but then he shook his body and continued his approach.

Lupin shrugged his shoulders just as the door opened.

"The _lapin_!" Fleur moved fast and clutched the hapless pet to her. "How fuzee you are, how plump!"

Lupin was just shaking his head as Wimples managed to wriggle out of Fleur's grasp and vault into his top hat.

"Wimples is rather shy," explained Tonks as she followed Fleur into the room. "So, what do you think?"

She pointed to Lupin who was looking up at the women from his perch.

"A _poupee mignonne_! A doll!" squealed Fleur.

Before Fleur could reach out to touch the Professor, Tonks collected Lupin and said, "Yes, we know. Any idea how to speed up his recovery?"

"Would you please not talk about me as if I'm not here?" asked Lupin. He had propped an elbow on Tonks' fingers and was leaning against it.

"Oh! Eet speaks!" squealed Fleur, then quickly collected herself. "_Pardonnez-moi_, Professor Lupin. Of course you speak, eet eez just that you are so tiny. _ Bien_, let me see the lens _magiques_."

Tonks tucked Lupin into her pocket and led Fleur to the lens and prism on the shelf. "He was shrunk when a light from a lumos spell hit the magnifying glass. I also confiscated the prism, but we can't get any magical aura from it."

"_Oui_, but sometimes one must test with proper _lumiere_," said Fleur. She seemed intent on studying the lens.

"I was wondering if we added another lens on top of this one," began Lupin. "The _Opus Oculum_ describes several instances where that was effective."

"But we must have the right feet--" began Fleur.

"Feet?" asked Lupin as he looked down at his toes. Tonks couldn't complain about boats now.

"Feet, _oui_, er, the right _combinaison_ of lenses," said Fleur.

"Oh, yes, the right fit," said Lupin.

But before they could initiate their scholarly debate, Tonks inserted, "Look, why don't I set Remus here while I go change? Scrimgeour was smoking a smelly pipe during our meeting and I can still smell it on me."

Lupin and Fleur nodded and began their discussion of magical optics. Tonks quickly ditched her clothes and changed her hair. She was soon wearing a pink t-shirt, blue jeans and pink hair.

She could hear the two enthusiastically discussing prisms as she approached the kitchen. Fleur had her back turned to her as she said, "...reveal secrets of the _prisme_."

Fleur then called a lumos spell and the light fell upon the prism just as Tonks was entering the kitchen.

Fleur's demonstration ended abruptly when she heard the giggle behind her. She turned around slowly and exclaimed, "_Mon dieu_!"

Lupin likewise stared in disbelief. "Nymphadora?"

"Tonksie!" squealed the four-year old as she quickly climbed atop a kitchen stool and grabbed Lupin. "Dolly!"

"Now, just," Lupin croaked as he tried to draw a breath.

"Tonksie, no, you squeeze Lupin. He cannot breathe," said Fleur as she gathered her wits.

"Oh," said a disappointed little voice, but she relaxed her grip. She didn't want to hurt her doll; he was too special. "I sorry."

"It's all right," assured Lupin as he closed his eyes. Perfect, just what he needed, a child who wanted to play dolls.

Fleur clucked her tongue and shook her head. She retrieved Tonks' wand and blue jeans. Luckily for Tonks, the t-shirt fell like a dress on the child. Fleur made a quick adjustment with her wand and had Tonks in denim dungarees with a large pocket on the bib.

"Just put your, eh, doll in your pocket. He weel be cosy, no?" Fleur sighed in relief when the little girl complied.

But as soon as the task was done, another squeal escaped from Tonksie. "Bunny!"

The child scampered away after Wimples, who had decided to make a cautious appearance in light of all the commotion. Luckily the vorpal bunny reached the haven of his top hat before Tonksie reached him.

"Oh, bunny doesn't want to play." Disappointment was clearly in the little girl's voice.

"He's just shy, Tonksie, and now isn't the time to play," said a hoarse masculine voice. "We have a problem, actually, two problems."

Tonksie's head began swiveling as soon as she heard the voice, then she realized the source. "Dolly talks!"

"Tonksie, zee doll eez Remus Lupin," said Fleur as she approached the child. She kneeled beside her, ascertained that Lupin was all right, and added. "Don't you remember him?"

Tonksie bit her lip and her eyes were shining with tears. "Remus? He's mine. Don't take him away, please? Please?"

"_Non,_ I weel not take him away, but Remus is not reely a doll. He eez our friend and needs help," explained Fleur patiently.

"Fleur will help both of us, Tonksie," assured Lupin from his berth in her bib pocket.

The child wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. She knew something was wrong, but the important thing was not lose Remus. The very thought of it made her feel incredibly sad. She took a deep breath and said, "I behave."

"_Bien_, are you hungry? You can eat while we wait for Bill; he should be here soon," said Fleur as she walked to the kitchen.

Tonksie skipped along behind her until she heard a voice.

"Tonksie? Would you mind walking, please? I don't bounce too well," explained Lupin, who in fact was looking a little green. He could always apparate, but he didn't want to make the little girl cry.

Tonksie stopped in her tracks. "I sorry."

She then walked very slowly, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. From his berth, Lupin merely propped his cheek against his palm and sighed. It was better than bouncing.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Bill!" Fleur said his name then flew into his arms babbling about _poupee_ and _petite fille_ and the _lapin_.

"Easy, luv, easy. From what Tonks told us, I assume Remus is the _poupee_ and the _lapin_ is Tonks' pet, but who is the _petite_ girl?" asked Bill as he rubbed her shoulder.

A high pitched squeal then erupted from the bedroom, followed by a stream of giggles. Fleur merely pointed behind her and said, "I made Tonks into a leetle girl."

Bill looked over Fleur's shoulder and gave her a light squeeze before approaching the bedroom. He swung the door open and understood the source of delight.

A little girl with pink hair was jumping on the bed. She was taking measured hops as the bunny led her atop the mattress in a circle.

"Tonksie, be careful. You almost fell off the bed," called the miniature Lupin from where he sat on the edge of the nightstand.

"I sorry," called Tonksie over her shoulder before falling on her seat, only to quickly bounce up and follow Wimples again.

Bill and Fleur entered the bedroom and walked toward Lupin. "Hello, Bill. I'm glad Fleur has reinforcement."

"Quite an exuberant child, isn't she?" asked Bill with a nod to the child.

"Oh, yes, her bedroom antics are quite energetic," said Lupin, then slapped his forehead and said, "I mean, the bouncing. She really likes to bounce."

Bill just kept looking curiously at the miniaturized Professor while Fleur blinked several times trying to determine what this conversation was about. Men! They had a language all their own.

"Weasley, get your head out of the gutter," Lupin finally muttered.

"Sorry, mate, I just don't often see you flustered," admitted Bill with a knowing smirk. He threw another glance at Tonks and said, "She reminds me of Ginny."

"Tonksie has _la joie de vivre_," said Fleur. Then she sighed before explaining, "She was changed into leetle girl when light from my wand fell on a _prisme._"

"And Tonks said you were shrunk when my brother's lumos spell struck the lens they were playing with." Bill was now leaning down to inspect Lupin. "Have you tried reversing the lens?"

"Yes, but it didn't work. Fleur and I think we need to create a corrective lens," said Lupin. "Fleur, do you have it with you?"

"_Oui_, a slope, not smooth on top," said Fleur as she pointed to the irregular curvature of the lens.

"Yes, I see what you mean," said Bill as he inspected the glass. His eyes turned to the bed again where Tonks and Wimples were now taking turns leap frogging each other. "But what about Tonks? If I were her I'd hate to have to go through puberty again."

Fleur removed the prism from the pocket of her robe. "I was testing the _prisme_ and, poof, Tonks becomes _petite_."

Bill frowned. "I've not heard of a prism affecting one's age."

"There was nothing documented in _Opus Oculum,_" said Lupin. "I wish there were some way for Fleur to recreate the effect while we observed. If only we had a test subject..."

Lupin's voice fell off as the three adult heads all turned to look at the vorpal bunny romping with Tonks. Wimples looked up from where he sat atop of Tonks' tummy tickling her with his scampering back feet. He twitched his ears suspiciously at them and suddenly made a dash to the door.

"Bunny! Stop!" cried Tonksie as she saw her playmate hopping away.

She managed to snatch his ears and he dangled off the bed. Luckily for all involved, were-rabbits had very strong bones and rather elastic bodies. His own bobbed up and down as gravity pulled on his tummy and Tonks firmly gripped his ears.

"Let me take him for a minute," said Bill as he swooped down on Wimples. He and Fleur hurried out the door with him.

"Where bunny go?" asked Tonksie as she slid on her tummy off the mattress and bounced her head lightly before flipping over.

Lupin apparated directly to her. "Did you knock your noggin?"

"Kiss it," prompted Tonksie as she rubbed the top of her head. She bent forward so Lupin could fulfill her request.

Lupin complied, then said, "We can go check up on Wimples if you pick me up and put me in your pocket, but you have to promise not to obey everything I say."

"Can I put you on my head?" asked the girl with a big smile.

"No, I'm safest in your pocket," said Lupin gravely.

"Oh," sighed Tonksie in clear disappointment, but she carefully picked up Lupin and tucked him gently into the pocket of her bib.

"They're probably in the kitchen," said Lupin as he directed his ride.

Tonks scampered to the kitchen where Bill waved them to him. "The rabbit's nibbling on an apple. Fleur is going to try to recreate what she did before."

"Tonksie, stay very still so we can watch this closely," said Lupin.

The little girl nodded solemnly and sank to her knees.

"Er, Tonksie? You can breathe," added Lupin.

He felt the gust of wind as Tonks released her breath, but his attention was soon focused on Fleur. She held up the prism and illuminated her wand. The prism caught the light and a narrow beam struck Wimples.

The vorpal bunny suddenly became one quarter of his size and much fluffier as he assumed a juvenile form. Wimples looked up suddenly and blinked his eyes.

Tonksie squealed in delight and cried out, "Bunny!"

She was about to run to him when Lupin asked, "Tonksie, put me on the counter so I can talk to Bill and Fleur, please? That way you can play with Wimples."

Tonksie agreed with a giggle and was soon cuddling the young bunny to her chest while the adults discussed their findings.

"Again, a child," said Fleur.

"The prism clearly refracted a beam of light," said Bill.

"It was blue! The light from Fleur's wand, it's blue," said Lupin. "But what does that mean? And how does a blue light make one younger?"

Bill cocked his head to one side. "You know, Father had a Muggle book at the Burrow on an area of study called optics. Let's see if I can remember. Muggles talk about light having features of wavelength."

"That's right, blue is a short-wavelength while a long-wavelength is--" began Lupin.

"_Rouge_!" exclaimed Fleur. "A red light! Of course, Madam Maxim had a _prisme_ that worked only for a green lumos wand. But it only kept _legumes_ from going bad, except for zee peas. Nothing could keep zee peas from going bad."

"I'm not surprised," murmured Lupin. "So we need to find a prism that responds to a red light and someone who can actually summon a red lumos for a wand."

"I go to Madam Maxime immediately," said Fleur. "Beauxbatons has the _premiere_ _collection_ of crystals and lenses, no?."

"That sounds good, but who gets to babysit in the meantime?" asked Bill. Fleur just looked at him sweetly.

"Gringotts eez closed," reminded Fleur and indeed, only goblins were allowed into the building during the week between Christmas and New Year's to take care of the annual accounting.

"I have to visit Dad," insisted Bill.

"We cannot impose on your _maman_," said Fleur, "and I'm sure your _papa_ weel understand."

"Oh, no, I've spent too many years babysitting for Mum," began Bill. "I had six little hellions to wa--"

"Yuck!" proclaimed Tonksie when she saw them kissing. Little Wimples was now sitting atop her head and also appeared disgusted with the display of affection as he covered his eyes with his ears.

"It's not so bad when you get older. Trust me," said Lupin sagely as he watched Fleur leave with a triumphant look on her face. She knew how to win an argument with Bill.

Lupin then noticed Tonksie's new coiffure. He thought she was too young to appreciate the pun, but he felt compelled to say, "That's an interesting head of hair you've got there, Tonksie."

Tonksie giggled and alternated pointed to the bunny then her head. "Hare hair, hare hair."

"What have I done?" murmured Lupin. He certainly hoped Fleur would hurry back.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_December 27  
Tonks' Flat_

Bill and Lupin spent the day supervising a little cyclone called Tonksie. The child's exuberant curiosity had made the day a trial for the men. It had been clear early in the day that Tonks' small flat would be destroyed if the child were not separated from the vorpal bunny. Their romping resulted in a broken lamp, a new creaking to her sofa, and the bed springs had to constantly be repaired. Lupin had practically exhausted his _reparo_ spell until Bill had taken over repairing duties.

Then Tonksie had decided the kitchen would be perfect for making potions of her own special concoction. Somehow Lupin knew that Wimples was behind this since the endeavor required several apples. Lupin had at least convinced the young one to abort her enterprise after a combination had unexpectedly layered all in close proximity with soot.

The Professor's offer to read Tonksie a story had begun well enough, but after two hours his voice was hoarse and her thirst for another story had yet to be quenched. Bill had sighed in relief when it was time to prepare lunch for he had been coerced into acting out all the characters of the story, a talent he had acquired when taking care of Ginny.

A trip to the park required that Bill climb a tree to rescue her. Only Lupin, who had been carried safely in her pocket, had prevented Tonksie from climbing any higher. The Professor didn't even want to think about the trip to the Muggle toy store. Who had come up with that brilliant idea? Oh, yes, well, at the time it had made sense to suggest it.

Tonksie had finally settled for an afternoon nap, but only if Lupin was beside her on the pillow. As he watched her eyes drifting shut, he wondered what would happen if they couldn't reverse the spell on her. It made him feel very old indeed, although it would be a bittersweet thing to watch her grow up this time. Then a rather alien thought appeared.

Would this be what having a daughter with Tonks would be like? He sat up quickly and looked at the child. He had never dared hope a woman could love him, let alone allow himself to think he could have a family. But he would have to let Tonks go before it came to that. He watched the innocent face slumbering and felt the well of sorrow at what he would miss. He closed his eyes and drifted off quickly.

While Tonksie was napping, Bill had also fallen asleep on the sofa. But the respite didn't last long and soon the men had to deal with Tonksie's efforts to redecorate the flat. Again, Lupin was convinced that Wimples was the mastermind as the child was painting silhouettes that had a rather lepine appearance on all the walls. Lupin was directing Tonksie in washing her hands thoroughly in the loo when the door burst open and Fleur called out.

"_Bonjour, mes amis_." Fleur was breathless as she entered and soon found Tonksie throwing herself at her and hugging her legs. "_Bonjour_, Tonksie, did you keep theez boys out of trouble?"

Tonksie nodded gravely. "I made them work hard aaaall day long."

"Amen," said Bill as he leaned over to brush a kiss on Fleur's cheek. "Any luck with the lenses?"

"Would someone retrieve me from the sink?" called a small voice. "I don't have it in me to apparate."

"Oh!" squealed Tonksie as she ran back to retrieve Lupin. She returned with the Professor properly tucked into her bib and sat carefully on the sofa. There was a spot that made a funny creaking noise now and she liked to sit on it. Wimples soon hopped up to sit on her lap.

Fleur removed a box from her robes. "I have good news and bad news. Madam says theez should work for Remus."

She quickly assembled a series of lenses and showed them to Bill, who nodded in approval. "That looks like a good fit. What about the prism? Is that the bad news?"

Fleur bit her lip and explained. "Madam did not have a _rouge prisme._ She sold one thirty years ago, but now eet can be found in Knockturn Alley."

Lupin and Bill exchanged a look, then the Professor asked, "You're not talking about the red light district of Knockturn Alley, are you?"

Tonksie looked up at the adults in confusion. "Red lights? I like red lights. Can we go see red lights?"

"In a minute, Tonksie," said Bill. "All right, so if I go get this prism, we still don't know of someone whose lumos has a red flare."

"Madam said that, ahem," here Fleur cleared her throat and was clearly blushing. "Madam Maxime says that Madam Dubois would be able to create a _rouge_ lumos and she, too, is here in London."

"And did Madam know where we could find this witch?" asked Lupin, although he was certain he knew the answer.

"At Chez Desir in Knockturn Alley, where we will also find _prisme_. Madam Maxime spoke with her, but, was uncertain she would aid us."

"Yes, I know where Chez Desir is," said Bill, then saw the dark look that Fleur threw his way. "On account of Charlie. Honestly."

"Fleur, even I know where it's at although I've never frequented the establishment," said Lupin.

Bill released a heavy sigh. "It looks like we need Remus back in proper form before we pursue a cure for Tonks."

"We get to see red lights?" asked Tonksie hopefully while Wimples perked up his ears at her question.

"First we need to get Remus back to his normal size," said Bill. "Ready, mate?"

Lupin spoke gently to the little girl. "Tonksie, would you set me on the floor in the middle of the room? And stand behind Fleur until she says it's all right."

Wimples hopped off her lap and Tonksie slowly walked to do as he bid. She knelt on the floor and gently removed him from her pocket, but as she put Lupin to stand on the floor, he could see the crocodile tears looming in her eyes.

"You go away now?"

"No, I'll still be here, only my normal size, like Bill and Fleur," said Lupin.

The child blinked her eyes and asked in a tremulous voice, "I don't carry you any more?"

"Er, no," began Lupin, but when he saw the first tear spill over, quickly added, "but once I'm normal, I'll be able to carry you, all right?"

"You carry me?" asked Tonksie in wonder, then suddenly giggled. "Promise?"

"I promise," echoed Lupin as he placed his hand over his heart.

The girl was appeased and skipped to Fleur while Bill set up the lenses. "Ready? One, two, three."

Lupin regained his normal height in an instant, but immediately bent at the waist and had to take deep breaths. "Merlin, it hurts."

"Remus! Okay?" cried Tonkie as she ran from Fleur to see to him. She put her little hand on his and looked so very concerned.

"I'll be fine," assured Lupin as he continued to take deep breaths.

"Quite a stretch, eh?" asked Bill.

"Just like at full moon," admitted Lupin as he lifted himself to full height. That's when he noticed that Tonksie was clutching his little finger.

The child looked up in wonder and said, "You taaaall."

Lupin chuckled and said, "And that's as it should be."

"Madam Maxime will be so pleezed she could help you," said Fleur. "But you must be hungry, I think, no?"

"Come to mention it, yes," said Lupin.

"We have time to eat. Madam Dubois said to visit before nine when the house opens," said Fleur.

"Fine, we'll have supper then see about our foray into Knockturn Alley," said Bill.

"Yay!" squealed Tonksie, but the adults exchanged a cautious look.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Knockturn Alley_

The odd company didn't seem too out of place in Knockturn Alley. Lupin walked beside Bill with Tonksie riding on his shoulders, wrapped in his Gryffindor scarf against the cold. Fleur was on Bill's other side and carried Wimples, who was looking rather feral by the time they reached the middle of the street.

"Where are red lights?" asked Tonksie in a very loud whisper.

"You'll see them soon enough," said Lupin. "First, we have to meet Madam Dubois."

"Oh," said the child with disappointment.

As they approached the door to Chez Desir, a rough looking man lumbered to the door and beat on it with a closed fist. He kicked at it suddenly, then stepped back, ripped the t-shirt under his leather jacket and wailed, "Stella! Stella!"

The company could hear a muffled, masculine voice on the other side of the door calling, "Madam Dubois, it's that drunken sod asking for Stella again! Want me to take care of him?"

A large, burly man opened the door and beside him stood a beautiful Titian haired woman who glared at the intruder. "Stan, go away!"

At her nod, the bodyguard quickly shot a spell at Stan. As he flew over the top of the trees the woman called, "And this time stay in Manchester!"

The woman straightened her robe when she caught sight of the odd group waiting on the other side of the street. Her bodyguard aimed at them with his wand, but the woman halted him and called, "Did Olympe Maxime send you?"

"Yes, Madam Dubois," said Lupin as he moved forward. There was something decidedly familiar about the woman, but he knew he had never met her professionally. "This is Nymphadora Tonks, who actually should be about twenty years older than her current appearance."

Tonksie ducked down as if she could hide behind Lupin's head from her perch on his shoulders and one of her ankles kept twisting. Her voice very faintly could be heard to say, "Hi."

Lupin patted the girl's leg gently and continued the introductions. "This is Fleur Delacour, a Beauxbatons alumnae, and Bill Weasley."

"Blanche Dubois," said the woman, then she dismissed her bodyguard with a nod. "Come in, have a seat." She eyed Bill appreciatively and asked, "You're Arthur Weasley's boy, aren't you?"

Bill turned red as he admitted, "Yes, Arthur Weasley is my father."

"His brothers dragged him here for his bachelor party! Poor git was mooning over his bride the whole night and wouldn't touch anyone, but Arthur always says hello to me when he sees me on the street. Not like some others," said Blanche with a tsk. "Well, come in and let's see if we can do business."

The adults exchanged a look. No one had thought to bring any money. They all exchanged a shrug and followed Blanche inside. They needed to find out what it would take to gain her cooperation.

As soon as they stepped into the lobby, Fleur gasped and pointed to the prism. It was in the shape of a pyramid and hung suspended over the bar in the back of the room. Lupin frowned as he thought about a similar crystal that his parents had purchased. It was before their trip to New Orleans when he was a child.

"Yeah, that's the prism you need," said Blanche. "So, how much are you willing to pay for this service?"

Bill spoke quickly and tried to be as charming as possible. "Madam, all we ask of you is a simple lumos spell. Surely that is a trivial thing for one of your talents?"

Blanche smiled and said, "You should never rely on the kindness of strangers."

Lupin put Tonksie on the floor to stand beside him. "You're not a stranger, though. We've met before, in New Orleans."

Blanche looked Lupin up and down, then noticed the little girl clinging to his pant leg. "I think you're mistaken--"

"My parents brought me to you over thirty years ago after I was first bitten," said Lupin and an angry tone entered his voice. "You said you could help, but you were a fraud, a squib! Come on, let's go. Madam Dubois isn't capable of performing even a lumos spell."

"But the _prisme_," said Fleur as she pointed to the crystal pyramid.

"_Accio_." Lupin didn't even use his wand to call it to him.

"You can't take that!" said Blanche. Her face was flushing now.

"Yes, I can," said Lupin. "The price my parents paid for your worthless consultation was this crystal."

He heard Bill and Fleur gasp behind him, but it was the little whimper from Tonks that he registered. He put a reassuring hand on her head. He didn't want to upset the child.

"Look, fine, I admit I'm not great with magic, but I am no squib," said Blanche. She seemed to deflate as she sank into a chair. "Sit down."

Bill and Fleur took the loveseat while Lupin sat in an armchair and put Tonksie on his lap. The child nuzzled against his chest. Seeing red lights was not as much fun as she had hoped.

"The crystal, it helps me cast my spells so I can keep my beauty, but I can, too, call a lumos spell all by myself." Blanche glanced at Lupin and a flash of guilt actually crossed her face. "I remember you now. A tall, pale, sickly boy. I didn't think you'd survive the year."

"Lucky for me you're no better seer than you are sorceress." The words were spoken in Lupin's normal affable tone, but the expression in his eyes exuded nothing but loathing.

"Enough with the guilt! Look, maybe we can have an exchange of services here," said Blanche. "I have the red lumos."

"I have the crystal," reminded Lupin.

"And you have a girl there that you want back as a woman, I'd wager," said Blanche as she finally put the pieces together.

Tonksie shoved herself as close to Lupin as she could possibly get. "Can we go home, Remus? I don't want to see red lights anymore."

Her little voice actually served to relieve some of the tension in the room. Lupin visibly relaxed and said, "We'll hear what she wants first, then we can go."

"I heard about what happened to Arthur," began Blanche. "I can tell you where to find the serpent so that a proper antidote can be made, unless you want your father to drink that vile potion all his life? All I want is that crystal back."

Fleur put a hand on Bill's arm as he tensed. He turned to Lupin and said, "It's your crystal, Remus. Father wouldn't want you to be duped again for it."

"I don't want him to have to take a potion for the rest of his life," Lupin said quietly. He turned to Blanche and directed, "First, you turn Tonks back to normal."

"But I want to keep the crystal," said Blanche.

"Only after we've collected some venom from the serpent," insisted Lupin.

"Fine, go snake hunting first, then I'll cooperate with the child, but not until I can keep the crystal."

Bill and Lupin exchanged a nod. "Fine. Fleur, you stay here with Tonksie while we see if this serpent is real."

"It hunts at night in Knockturn Alley behind the Malificent Menagerie. Every ten days or so, they find some animals all bled out, dry as a husk."

"We need to create a lure for the snake," said Bill as he rubbed his chin.

Lupin and Fleur looked at the vorpal bunny in her lap. He was a juvenile, but the red eyes and the extended incisors looked wicked. _Snarl, snarl._

"I think we have the right decoy," said Lupin as Fleur extended the were-rabbit to Bill.

For his part, Wimples seemed quite alert and willing to go on the hunt given how his snarling deepened.

"Bunny! Wimples mine," cried Tonksie with concern.

"Wimples will be fine, but we have an important job for him," assured Lupin. Again, another cost to his line from Lyonesse, but as irritating as the vorpal bunny could be, the fact that Tonks loved him made it worth the eventual sacrifice.

Bill and Lupin rose with the Professor setting Tonksie firmly on the seat beside Fleur. "When we get back, everything will be fine. Be a good girl for Fleur."

Tonksie nodded. She would be good, absolutely. That's why as soon as Blanche showed them to a private room where they could wait, she ran away.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Knockturn Alley  
Malificent Menagerie_

"From Harry's dreams earlier this year, it was clear that Nagini gets to hunt freely at night,"said Lupin as they entered the alley. "Voldemort is too arrogant to think that anything will attack his viper."

"Remus, if this is Nagini and we can kill the damned thing--"

"And have Voldemort down on us before we can get Tonks back normal?" asked Lupin calmly. "I understand how you feel, Bill, but Dumbledore specifically warned against any rash action. I can protect Wimples and at least collect some fresh venom. At best, the beast will lose a fang."

Lupin smiled at Bill who returned it in kind. His training as a curse breaker allowed him to understand patience. "Fine, but when the venom's extracted from the fang, it's my trophy."

"I certainly want no part of it," said Lupin. He took Wimples from Bill and said, "Ready?"

Wimples snarled, but not at Lupin. His challenge was directed at a point ahead of him. The Professor released him and the were-rabbit hopped to the center of the alley.

Just before Lupin and Bill used a disillusionment charm, they saw a small body bundled in a Gryffindor scarf. It was sliding down an old metal tube that leaned against the wall at the far end of the alley. The sound of little feet slapping the pavement confirmed it was Tonksie!

Things then seemed to move very slowly, although the sequence of events occurred in the next instant. Lupin felt the blood in his face draining as she ran to them. Out of a hole in the wall just in front of her, a serpentine form emerged.

"Remus!" Her squeal of delight summoned death because the snake turned swiftly from targeting the fat little furball in the middle of the alley to strike at the child behind it.

Bill and Lupin raised their wands, but not before Wimples jumped on the back of the snake and used his long incisors to rip at its hide. The snake turned to strike at the were-rabbit.

Tonksie would have screamed, but she suddenly stood still, numb with fear. Then she got angry, very very angry.

"Go 'way, snake!" she bellowed.

Lupin and Bill felt the air crack around them as Nagini whipped through the air and out of the alley, wriggling against the force of the child's anger. The air then became very still and the three of them converged on the spot where Wimples lay.

"Bunny!" wailed Tonksie, but she tripped on the ends of the scarf as she tried to get to Wimples.

Lupin snatched her up while Bill gently turned Wimples on his side. They could see Bill shaking his head and wiping his face.

The Professor carried her to them, but cautioned, "Don't touch Wimples yet. Let me go first."

Bill looked up, but said nothing and merely pointed to the bunny. "You're not going to believe this."

There between his paws was a very long fang. Lupin heard Tonksie gasp, but everyone began laughing when the Wimples, completely bereft of any feral qualities, shook his head and twitched his nose at them.

"Looks like I get a new trophy," said Bill as he called the spell that preserved the fang safely.

"You can pick him up now," said Lupin as he put the child on the ground. She lost no time cuddling her bunny.

"Let's get Fleur and be done with this," Bill said as he clasped Lupin's shoulder. He was satisfied with this level of revenge, but more importantly, the odd adventure resulted in helping his father regain full health.

Lupin nodded and scooped up Tonksie and the vorpal bunny. Ah, the power of a woman's wrath. In some things, size really didn't matter.

- - - - - - - - - - -

_Knockturn Alley  
Chez Desir_

"I am not for sale," insisted Fleur as another man tried to grab her. She hexed his arm so that it was boneless and walked away in satisfaction as his arm began flopping about. He was lucky that was all she had left limp.

Fleur had spent the last half hour looking for Tonksie in the building, but without luck. Now the house was open for business and Madam Dubois had no time to help her. Fleur couldn't believe the child had gotten out the door, but when she saw Lupin enter with the child in his arms, she felt distressed.

"I thought Tonksie was still in zee house! Gabrielle would never have left,"said Fleur as she thought about the times she had watched her little sister.

"It's all right, luv, Tonksie is fine. Let's just find Blanche and finish this," assured Bill.

"But I am horrible to lose a child like theez," said Fleur.

"Believe me, I've lost every single one of my younger siblings at one point or other, some of them multiple times," assured Bill with a grimace. "Fast little buggers, the lot of them."

"We need to find Blanche before before things get too busy," said Lupin as more men walked in and eyed Fleur rather salaciously.

"The room is back here," said Fleur. They were soon at an ornate door and found Blanche finishing the application of her make-up.

"Well, am I fraud or did you get the venom you needed?" asked Blanche.

Lupin put Tonks on the floor while she was still holding Wimples, then removed the crystal pyramid from his pocket. "The crystal is yours, but first we need to test it on the bunny."

Blanche nodded and asked, "All I do is cast my lumos spell?"

"I'll aim the prism," assured Lupin. He then turned to Tonksie and directed her. "Leave Wimples on the floor and go stand with Fleur. We're going to see if Blanche can help you."

Tonksie hesitated, but Wimples began to struggle against her. She took it as a sign that he wanted to be on the floor.

The rest seemed rather simple given all they had gone through to get to this point. Blanche illuminated the tip of her wand while Lupin captured the red flare at its tip with the prism. He adjusted the angle so that the light went through the crystal and directly struck Wimples.

_Snerf, snerf, snerf._

"Yes, I bet it does feel good to get back to normal," said Lupin. He then took Tonksie by the hand and knelt beside her. "You see what happened to Wimples?"

"He got bigger."

"Yes, and he's older, too, the age he's supposed to be. That's what will happen to you, too." Lupin ruffled the pink hair one last time. He unwound the long scarf that had kept her warm and put it over his shoulders.

"Will, will you still be my friend?" asked Tonksie as she rubbed a toe into the carpet.

"Always," assured Lupin, then he leaned forward and gave her a fatherly kiss on the cheek. This was the closest he would come to having a daughter of his own. He felt a new ache in his heart at the thought that he would miss her.

"Fleur, you might want to change her clothes back so she'll be properly covered," directed Lupin.

Then he stepped back, held the crystal in his hand, and nodded to Blanche. The transformations was almost instantaneous, but for one moment, Lupin could see both the child Tonks had been and the woman she was now. Then the image faded and the pink-haired woman before him suddenly blushed.

"Oh, Merlin, why am I standing here in my t-shirt and knickers?" Tonks was quickly pulling up the blue jeans pooled at her feet.

"It's a long story," said Lupin as he walked to her, "but I'll tell you on the way home."

"All right," said Tonks, but she didn't take two steps before fainting into his arms.

"My little girl grew up too fast," murmured Lupin to himself, but the weight he carried was no burden.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_New Year's Eve  
Tonks' Flat_

"I sound like a little brat," said Tonks as Lupin regaled her again with tales of her younger self.

It had taken two days for her to recover and she only had vague memories of their latest adventure. They had decided to spend a quiet New Year's Eve together and had been dancing to the songs on the Wireless. Tonks wore the pink bracelet on her wrist and it matched her hair and dress perfectly.

"You were a very charming brat. In fact, you were quite adorable," said Lupin, but at her pout added, "You are adorable."

"I'm glad everything's back to normal," sighed Tonks. The song ended and the countdown to the New Year began.

"But now we're in a new year," said Lupin as he tightened his embrace on her. He had expected to be alone again, but it seemed they had just a little more time together.

"I hear there's a time honored tradition about kissing someone to welcome the New Year," said Tonks.

Lupin frowned. "I don't care what the tradition is, I'm not kissing Wimples, even if he did serve as a decoy during our last mission."

Tonks laughed and slapped his shoulder, but her violent tendencies melted away when he countered her attack with a kiss. That was the most proper start off a new year. At that moment, it seemed the new year was filled with promise and any heartache was far away.

_End of Chapter_

Minor edits.

Author Notes:  
Sorry for the long delay in posting this chapter, but it was rather long and I want the story arc within a chapter complete before I feel comfortable. However, I have been enchanted with the idea of Lupin as doll-sized, here a very small doll. Wouldn't we all be clamoring for one? Then I was intrigued by the idea of Lupin realizing that he would want a child of his own as he does when Tonks becomes a little girl again.

This is my version of events in the Order of the Phoenix that explain how Arthur got help after his snake bite and why we don't see much of Lupin at number twelve during the holidays. The AANT is obviously not canon, nor are the healing spells that Tonks' casts.

I enjoy putting Tonks in weird outfits, so the Christmas elf was a must. Having Tonks as a child was fun to consider and I think we would all agree that she would be energetic. Again, the situation allowed me to play with Bill and Fleur. And here I want to thank all who offered suggestions on the French and Mee Yah in particular. I used her advice to edit the chapters.

The Blanche Dubois connection is clearly a reference to A Streetcar Named Desire. I couldn't resist once I decided to use Dubois, to thanks for putting up with it, even if it made you groan. Couldn't be worse than the line: "We were just curious," said George...

Also, there is nothing in canon about the color of the lumos spell. I assume we typically see a sort of white light at the tip, so for the purpose of this story, I created the color as an individual difference. The prisms and lenses had some valid science behind them, but again, I used them liberally.

Thanks for waiting and reading. I know it's long, so I hope you found it worth your wait. Hope to update by Valentine's Day.


	14. True Colors

Summary: Tonks discovers that Lupin's bloodline comes with a price.

**Nymph vs Wolf**  
_**True Colors**_

_Tonks' Flat  
January 12_

Remus Lupin was having a very nice dream. Instead of escorting Harry and his friends to catch the Hogwarts Express, he and Nymphadora Tonks were escorting a girl who was obviously their daughter. She had her father's long legs, but her mother's bright spirit shone through her eyes. He heard the voices of two little boys as well, but couldn't see them. Just as Tonks was about to speak their daughter's name, the image evaporated as a loud pop sounded outside the door to Tonks' flat.

Tonks left his embrace and the comfort of the bed in an instant. She flew to her front door before Lupin could quell the dream-induced paralysis. As he shook off the stupor, he could hear Kingsley Shacklebolt's deep voice in her living room. He quickly tugged on his clothes while he tried to clear his head.

Lupin met Wimples at the doorway to the bedroom, but the were-rabbit merely sat there with his ears cocked as if to listen to every word.

"...from all accounts only ten have escaped, but that includes your aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange." Kingsley's deep voice resonated in the quiet room. He turned from Tonks to Lupin when the Auror spotted the tall man out of the corner of his eye. "Remus, I didn't realize I'd find you here."

Lupin just shrugged as he walked toward them, although he noticed that Tonks was blushing. She stammered, "I--he, we--"

"I take it that the impossible has happened again? An escape from Azkaban?" inserted Lupin. He should have thought before making his presence known, but there were more important matters at hand than their compromising situation.

"Ten of them, all Death Eaters. We're calling all Aurors in," explained Kingsley. He kept his questions to himself and bit back a smile at this romance.

"I better go to Headquarters," said Lupin as he walked to the sofa where he had left his jacket.

"Remus, one of them was Dolohov," said Kingsley.

Lupin tensed at the name and looked up sharply. "I'll be careful."

"What's going on? Why would Dolohov be after you?" queried Tonks.

Kingsley was the one who gave her the details. "Dolohov was the only Death Eater convicted for the deaths of Fabian and Gideon Prewett, specifically because Lupin wounded the man and served as an eyewitness at his trial."

"Dolohov has a wicked lashing spell, but not much wit," said Lupin with a shrug.

"You know, it's not very comforting to think you're the target of a witless killer, Remus," observed Tonks.

At this point Wimples made his entrance and looked up at Kingsley with wide, innocent eyes. Kingsley dropped to one knee to pet the bunny. "Who's this little fella?"

"Say hello to Wimples," said Tonks. Kingsley accepted the information with a nod and discreetly turned his attention toward the furball so that the couple could talk.

Tonks walked to the sofa while Lupin tugged on his shoes. "How many of these Death Eaters are likely to have your name on the top of their To Do list?"

"Probably all of them," admitted Lupin, "but you're the one going into the line of fire; don't worry about me."

Tonks squeezed his arm and whispered, "I know how to do my job." She walked to her room calling, "I'll be ready in one minute, King."

The door closed and the two men stood in silence for a moment as Wimples hopped back into his top hat. Lupin raked a hand through his hair and said, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention finding me here to anyone."

"It saved me the trouble of reporting to Order Headquarters," assured Kingsley. "But watch your back and make sure Sirius doesn't do something reckless."

"I'll make sure he doesn't go hunting," assured Lupin. "Send word when you can."

Kingsley nodded as Tonks rejoined them. They left the flat together and before disapparating, Tonks whispered, "I'll see you later."

It was several days before Lupin next saw her.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_January 16  
Grimmauld Place_

Order Headquarters had gained a pervasive level of gloom since the breakout at Azkaban. Even the ridiculous assertion in the Daily Prophet that Sirius Black was somehow the agent on the outside who had engineered the escape had little effect on the somber mood of the current residents of number twelve.

It was two in the morning and although both men had gone to bed, neither one was sleeping. When Mrs. Black's portrait began ranting as the front door opened, it took little effort to get her under control and to greet their visitor, albeit in their dressing gowns.

"Nymphadora?" Lupin helped her rise from where she had tripped on the troll foot umbrella stand. He noticed she also had a duffel slung over her shoulder and a small crate with her.

"Wotcher, Remus, Sirius," replied Tonks as she caught sight of her cousin walking toward them.

"Any news?" asked Sirius.

Tonks shook her head and explained, "We've got an odd trail. The best we can determine is that they split up, but Scrimgeour thinks the Dementors helped them escape."

"So does Dumbledore," acknowledged Lupin, "but all of the Dementors are still at Azkaban, aren't they?"

"Yes, the Dementors are still there, but Aurors are being sent to there to reinforce security," confirmed Tonks.

"No!" said Sirius emphatically. He grabbed Tonks shoulders in a firm grip and insisted, "You can't go there, Tonks. You'll be a prime target, they'll drain someone like you. Don't go!"

"Sirius! Calm down, she's not being sent as an inmate," said Lupin firmly as he in turn put his hands on Sirius' shoulders. He could see that the man was holding his little cousin just a bit too firmly. "It's her job, remember?"

"It's a duty I'm trained for, Sirius," said Tonks gently.

Sirius realized he was overreacting and loosened his grip. He took a deep breath and said, "Right, I know, I know."

He moved off and shook his head, but Tonks didn't hesitate to make her request. "Sirius, I have a favor to ask of you and Remus. We're being deployed to Azkaban for periods of at least six weeks. I need to leave Wimples with you, if that's all right."

The two men finally took note of the crate and Lupin could hear the familiar snarl from the were-rabbit. _Snerf, snerf._

"Of course," said Sirius immediately. "How much trouble can a little bunny be?"

"We refer to him as Tonks' furry little problem," said Lupin. "He's the were-rabbit, remember?"

"Does that mean he'll chase Kreacher? I like him already," said Sirius as he bent to peer at the vorpal bunny. "I'll take him downstairs; he'll be safest in the kitchen."

Lupin turned his attention to Tonks as Sirius walked away. "You're leaving now?"

"I have to be at the Ministry by six this morning," said Tonks, but then she seemed to hesitate as if she didn't know what to say next. Lupin and Tonks stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"Remus, a word?" called Sirius from the stairs that led to the kitchen.

Lupin was a bit annoyed by the summons, but he walked to his host. The conversation proceeded in hushed tones.

Sirius spoke in earnest. "Moony, you take Tonks up to your room and don't come out until she has the best damn happy memory you can give her."

"Sirius, look, our relationship isn't like that," said Lupin quietly.

"What!" Sirius disbelief carried his voice to Tonks to glanced at them with a frown, so Sirius lowered his voice again. "You haven't? Don't you remember your basic contraceptive spells?"

"Of course I do, but that's not the point," whispered Lupin defensively. "I can't just--"

"Hell, yeah you can!"

"I'm not going to bed Tonks just because she's going away. I won't treat her like some, some--"

"Someone you love?" insisted Sirius. "A fresh memory, Remus, something good to call a Patronus, a memory that will make her feel secure and happy."

Lupin grew still. Tonks would be surrounded by Dementors and the ability to summon the Patronus could save her sanity. A fresh memory, a good memory. Lupin shook his head. "It's not a simple--"

"Don't make it complicated, Moony. Now is the time, for her own good," pleaded Sirius. From his crate, Wimples seemed to snarl at Lupin to reinforce this. "It's not the act, it's the intimacy, understand?"

Lupin sighed, but only said, "I understand that you think this would protect her."

Sirius nodded, then turned to walk down the stairs to the kitchen as he commiserated with Wimples. "No wonder you snarl at him, the clueless git..."

Tonks had not heard the details of their discussion, but she could see that there was some point of contention between the two men. She began, "I'm sorry about dumping Wimples off on you, but I didn't want Gisella, my landlady to--"

"Wimples will be no problem," assured Lupin as he approached Tonks and took her hand in his. He could at least take Tonks up to his room, so he led her up the stairs in silence.

Once in his room, Tonks moved self-consciously and let her duffel fall to the floor. She wanted him to hold her for a little while. She wanted him to kiss her, to touch her, and this time, she didn't want him to stop. If she had that one memory! But it wasn't something she could demand and she was no good at seduction.

Tonks didn't realize that the expression of her eyes called to him in a way no other woman could. The warmth, the sincere desire that burned there was the strongest temptation she could offer.

Lupin moved awkwardly as he tried to make up his mind. One thing he did know was that there was no way he could prevent himself from touching Tonks, so he removed her cloak in silence and just held her for a moment. The tension left their bodies as they melted into the embrace and soon they shared the inevitable kiss.

He finally drew back and considered what he should do. They slept together regularly, touched each other intimately, shared what pleasure they could in each other's body, but had not taken the step to consummate their relationship. It would be unfair, wouldn't it? He would have to walk away and it would be so painful--or would it be worse to wonder?

"I--you--Tonks, if we do this, it's not because it's the promise of a future," Lupin finally said as he leaned his forehead against hers.

Tonks whispered, "Can't we just forget who we are and just give in to what we are? Just a man with a woman?"

"That's all it can be," said Lupin as he cupped her face. He didn't want to lie to her.

"That's all I need right now," she replied before she kissed him. She felt his surrender as he pressed her into the bed.

For the next few hours, they were completely free of any task except to see to each other's pleasure. It was a precious memory that they gave each other, a simple act they had not shared with any other. He was not a man who could make love without loving. He wouldn't say the words, but his body betrayed the depth of his feelings simply from the way he touched her.

Three hours later, Tonks left her slumbering partner and made her way to the door. As she got to the bottom of the stairs, she heard her cousin.

"So, d'you think you can summon a wicked Patronus?" Sirius asked quietly.

Tonks turned around with a gentle smile and nodded. As she walked out the door, Sirius prayed that her memories would save her from the despair of Azkaban.

Tonks walked away from Grimmauld place confident of one thing: Remus loved her. Whether he would ever admit this with words, whether they would have a future together, was still unknown, but he did love her. That's what she had needed.

Two months would pass before she would grace their presence once again.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_February 14  
Azkaban_

The Auror made her rounds in silence, although the cold air seemed to add a hollow whistle as it blew. Everything was cold here and one could tell when a Dementor was in proximity. She looked to her left and saw the figure gliding in her direction.

"Wotcher, Grimly," Tonks called stubbornly.

Her wand was always in hand ready to call her Patronus and her recent memories of her time with Lupin accelerated the summoning. She wanted the Dementors to know she was aware that they followed her as closely as they guarded the prisoners.

The Dementor changed direction and disappeared around a corner. The wind died down and she could hear the whisperings of the prisoners.

These whispers were more disturbing than any ranting because they revealed the internal hell that had replaced their daily life. No one would listen, so why bother raising your voice? No one could follow your thoughts, so why share them? No one was there for you, so why not create your own world? But the world the prisoners created was bleak and hopeless if one paid any attention to the whispers.

Particularly disturbing was when Tonks realized she had begun to whisper to herself. "No! I will speak, I will sing, I will rant, but I will be heard."

Two Dementors loomed ahead of her at the end of the corridor. She called in a friendly voice. "Ah, the Gruesome Twosome! Out for a romantic stroll? Lovely."

Just what the world needs, Dementors mating. Tonks shook her head and continued her surveillance. At least she was getting a lot of exercise and her constant vigilance meant she wasn't as clumsy as she used to be. But for all of her outward spunk, she could feel the toll that Azakaban was taking on her usual optimism.

Tonks frowned as she remembered her initial mistake in coming to the fortress. In those first days, she had defiantly worn her pink hair--or light blue or kelly green--any color that was bright would do. But that had called undo attention from the Dementors and one night, she had been ambushed by two of them.

She had the presence of mind to call her Patronus then, but when she reported the incident as proof that the Ministry was losing control of the Dementors, she had been the one reprimanded. Two more weeks had been tacked to her time at Azkaban. She had also been ordered to keep her hair color subdued, so she kept it to her normal brown.

Tonks took a deep breath and thought about the calendar tacked above her bed in the dormitory. It wasn't imbued with magical properties that added flair to the dates, but she needed no reminder for February 14. If not for the escape of the Ten, she would have had someone of her own to give a Valentine to, but instead she had no way to contact him for only official communications were allowed even among the Aurors. She felt the dark mood descending and blinked away tears.

"Playing with Dementors; that is where we sent her," sang Tonks. "Losing her bravado, incommunicado."

The last note echoed in the corridors.

"Singing like a loon, mostly out of tune. Wish I had my valentine, just to kiss him one more time..."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_February 14  
Kensal Green Cemetery_

Remus Lupin walked at a steady pace through the tombstones of the Victorian cemetery of Kensal Green. He was surrounded by notable artists, writers and even royalty in these hallowed grounds, but at the moment, his concern was with the living.

He had not intended to become a target, Lupin told himself, but he had never credited Antonin Dolohov with intellectual aptitude. The escaped Death Eaters had been very careful, but Dolohov had been tempted by an opportunity to settle an old score when he had seen Lupin running an errand at Knockturn Alley.

The Professor had known immediately that someone was following him, but not whom it was until he had led his pursuer to the cemetery. He had just walked to the tomb of Leigh Hunt which had a large, rectangular tombstone embossed with a vase.

"Lupin!" Dolohov appeared with a swagger, confident that he would get his revenge. It had been a fluke that Lupin had bested him at their last encounter. "I've waited a long time for this! I'm gonna make sure everyone you know marks this as a special day!"

"Antonin, it's Valentine's Day. People already mark it on their calendars," said Lupin calmly.

Dolohov frowned. "Well, uh, they'll mark it as your death day, too!"

Lupin repelled the purple light that flared from Dolohov's wand as he took cover behind the monument. The spell zigzagged around him, but Dolohov followed quickly with another volley as he chased Lupin through the cemetery.

Lupin felt a sense of irony as the stone angels bore witness to the chase. In fact, he felt a bit guilty when he saw Dolohov's spell cut the hands off of the angels that adorned Mary Gibson's tomb. Still, he had to concentrate on repelling the spell that would rip him from the inside.

Luckily Dolohov was weak and Azkaban had done little to improve his strategy. The Professor smiled as he led the man to his trap. He made his stand by a tomb upon which a headless angel perched. He prayed it was not an omen.

Lyonesse blood had some advantages, but for this he could draw on his legacy without paying a price later. Lupin focused on calling his spell without wand or spoken word, but just with a thought: _manus terra_.

"Lup-aaah!" Dolohov suddenly felt the ground reach up to grab him as if the grass had become two large fists. One captured the right hand that was wielding his wand while the other wound tightly around his knees.

"Lu-pin," corrected the Professor as he approached the wizard cautiously, but voices soon alerted him to more adversaries.

"There they are!" called a woman's voice.

Lupin could see three Death Eater's coming his way. He knew he wouldn't be able to take his prisoner with him and that reinforcements wouldn't arrive in time. It was time to abort.

"Lupin! You stay here and fight me, you coward!"

But Dolohov's taunts were made to empty space as Lupin safely disapparated. He found himself at Tonks' empty flat and sank into her sofa. He shouldn't have taken the chance with Dolohov, but his missions had been so frustrating of late, it had felt good to act.

Even with the escape from Azkaban, it was difficult to convince people that it was time to take action against Voldemort's return. He wiped his face with a hand and leaned his head back for a moment. He was tired and he wished--he wished that the flat were not empty.

"Nymphadora Tonks, I miss you," murmured Lupin. She would have been able to brighten his moments; she would have understood his motives in drawing Dolohov to the cemetery.

But he should get accustomed to the emptiness again. Surely when she returned from Azkaban, Tonks would see that she needed more than he could offer. Azkaban was just a foretelling of the bleak life she would have with him.

Lupin opened his eyes and spied the magic calendar on the wall. Valentine's Day. The rosy hearts floating around the date reminded him of the pink-haired Auror.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Nymphadora," sighed Lupin. He closed his eyes and let his memories of their last time together fill the dark moment. And in the darkness he could admit, "I love you."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_March 19  
Grimmauld Place_

Nymphadora Tonks let herself in the door to number twelve. All was silent in the house because she opened the door quietly and had entered with caution. The two months at Azkaban had dampened her clumsiness. Now it was a wet and dreary afternoon in London, but nothing deterred her from her goal as she walked with deliberate movements.

Tonks was familiar with Lupin's habits, so she walked softly to the drawing room and just stood leaning against the doorway for a moment as she spied him asleep in his favorite chair. A book had been left open on the arm of the chair to mark his spot.

His pale skin attested to the fact that last night had been a full moon, so she wasn't surprised to catch him napping. His hair was longer; he'd obviously been neglecting keeping it trimmed. Her gaze traced the scars on his face and that made her think about the scars on the rest of his body as she walked to him in silence.

Tonks knelt by the chair and took his hand in her own. He had such beautiful hands and she could hardly believe she was touching him now. She splayed her fingers and let them run along the edges of his fingers. She let her fingertips follow the contour of his wrist and that's when she felt him move.

Lupin's hand closed, effectively capturing hers. His eyes fluttered open and gazed into hers. Slowly, his hand reached out as his body leaned forward. "Nymphadora?"

His voice was disbelieving and she closed her eyes as his fingers touched her brown hair. His lips touched her cheek and he inhaled her scent for a moment before tilting her chin up to kiss her. His arms drew her up onto his lap. When the kiss ended, she buried her face in his neck and laughed in delight.

"You can't imagine how good you feel, Remus." Tonks was rewarded by a very satisfying squeeze.

"You really are back? I'm not dreaming?" asked Lupin as he scanned her face. Then he idly lifted a lock of her hair and asked, "Your hair, why is it brown?"

"It's my natural color," admitted Tonks as she reached out to touch a strand of his hair. "A bit more chocolate than yours, though. Scrimgeour insisted I not provoke attention with my hair color."

She scrunched her face and soon the typical pink hair appeared. Lupin's broad smile made her giggle and so it was that Sirius and Wimples came upon them. The vorpal bunny lost no time leaping around the room in his delight.

"You! Why didn't you tell us you were coming home?" asked Sirius as he entered. He immediately reached out and rubbed the top of her head briskly.

"Ouch! Because I didn't want to be ambushed," replied Tonks, but she leapt out of Lupin's lap and gave her cousin a big hug.

Sirius finally let her go only to have Wimples jump into her arms. She rubbed his soft fur for a moment, then placed him on the floor. "Wimples wasn't a lot of trouble I hope?"

"The little faker was a model guest," began Lupin as he stood up. "He barely even snarled at me."

"Although he did give Kreacher a merry chase, very entertaining," added Sirius.

"Wimples has discriminating tastes," agreed Lupin. "He did wear us out last night when we transformed, though."

"Wimples slipped into the tower room when Snuffles brought Moony to play with Buckbeak." Sirius then used hand gestures to illustrate his next point. "The furball was ricocheting around the room faster than we could nab his ears."

Wimples cocked his ears rather jauntily at the description, but Lupin added, "Well, he has no tail to speak of, so the ears are the only target."

Wimples seemed to deflate a bit and turned his head to look at his little puffy tail. Tonks reached down to pet the bunny and said, "I'll have to bring him to play tag with you boys more often."

"Oh, Remus had a much more dangerous game of tag while you were go--" Sirius stopped when Lupin placed his hand over his mouth. He threw a disgruntled look at the man.

"Who were you playing tag with exactly?" asked Tonks.

Lupin immediately said, "No one interesting."

"Dolohov," explained Sirius in a rush as he shifted out of Lupin's grasp. "And assorted Death Eaters."

"What?" asked Tonks as she confronted Lupin. She was standing on her toes and had her hands on her hips.

"It was just a little game of cat and mouse at Kensal Green," said Lupin calmly.

"Yes, but who almost ended up being the mouse?" asked Sirius. He turned to Tonks and said, "Remus almost had Dolohov until the Lestranges showed up. Wish I had been there."

Tonks rubbed at her temples with one hand while she pointed at Lupin with her other. "This is exactly the sort of thing I expected to happen if I'm not around to watch your back."

"I can take care of myself, Nymphadora," assured Lupin as he put his hands on her shoulder. "I didn't set out to bait Dolohov; I just took advantage of his stupidity."

Tonks looked into his eyes and registered his sincerity. She nodded, then suddenly yawned widely. "Merlin! I didn't realize how tired I was."

"Come on, I've got your mail in my room and then you can take a nap. We're having an Order meeting in a few hours," said Lupin as he lead her out of the room. Tonks threw a little wave to Sirius and Wimples before leaning into Lupin as they walked.

Once in his room, Tonks let her robe fall off her shoulders and kicked her shoes off as she just fell backward on the bed. "It feels so good to be normal."

"Even in this gloomy house?" asked Lupin. He smiled at the witch who was wiggling her toes and let her mail fall by her side.

"Any place without Dementors is the happiest place on earth," asserted Tonks as she rolled over to scan her mail.

Lupin sat down beside her and leaned over her shoulder. He murmured, "How about one with looming lycanthropes?"

His voice sent a shudder through her. How she had missed him! She smiled as she opened a pink envelope. "Loom away, by by all means. Oh, look! I think our second date is back on."

Lupin frowned lightly. "I read about Steinhauer's injury in the last Quidditch match. I didn't realize it would have postponed his wedding."

"Gretchen says that Otto's mum wouldn't let him get married with a black eye, so they moved the wedding to--" Tonks suddenly sat up and barely missed knocking into Lupin's chin. "Remus! It's on the twenty-first!"

"But, Spring equinox,"Lupin murmured. "I planned to spend the next few days at Wolf Rock."

"Can't that wait? You promised to go to the wedding as our second date and I've got a week off before I have to report for duty here," said Tonks before turning to scan the letter again. "We'll need to leave by noon tomorrow because Gretchen wants me there for the rehearsal dinner. I knew it! I'm supposed to make sure Otto behaves."

Lupin frowned as he sought the words to explain why he should go to Wolf Rock when a blinding headache suddenly fell on him, "Tonks, there's something I need to tell you. I--"

He got no further before Tonks kissed him.

"Say yes," she commanded when she let him pull away.

Lupin looked at the woman and let his arms fall off of her shoulders. He looked a bit confused for a moment, but in a rather timid voice echoed, "Yes?"

"Yes, so we'll go to Heidelberg?" asked Tonks. "You'll go to the wedding with me?"

"Uh, yes, of course," he muttered as he gave her a rather shy smile.

"Great," said Tonks through another wide yawn. "Mm, you know, I think it's all catching up to me."

She leaned against Lupin who kept retreating until his back was against the headboard of his bed.

"You're going to nap?" asked Lupin rather tentatively.

Tonks smiled, although her eyes were closed. "Aren't you going to join me? I know I interrupted your nap earlier and you said the meeting wasn't until tonight."

"I, uh, certainly," said Lupin.

The man sat quietly as the woman's soft breathing continued. He told himself to relax in the strange situation as his eyes scanned the room. It was not the room from the lighthouse that he remembered, but he did recognize some of his favorite books on a shelf. The Scholar smiled in relief.

He was reluctant to move the woman sleeping against him; the gentle smile on her face was so like his sweet wife's. He merely summoned a book and began reading. He wondered what exactly the woman would expect of him and blushed at the thought. He made up his mind to be evasive with the woman and put his mind to his reading. The Scholar had very little time and there were so many books! He sighed in contentment.

But in the depths of the Scholar's mind, a rather lanky man walked with measured step as he found himself in a labyrinth of tall hedges. _Lyonesse lives_ was a blessing that required a price and this year, the payment had begun early.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"Remus?" Tonks sat up in the bed and stretched. Lupin wasn't in the room, so she decided it must be time for the Order meeting. How considerate of him to let her sleep! She hopped down the stairs and straight to the kitchen, but Lupin wasn't there, although Molly and Arthur welcomed her warmly.

In fact, Order members continued to appear and greet Tonks, but Lupin didn't join the company until the meeting was about to begin. Tonks frowned when she noticed he had his nose in a book as he took his seat close to the exit. She murmured to Sirius who sat next to her. "I never knew Remus wore eyeglasses."

Sirius turned his attention to the entry, but instead of responding, Tonks could hear the low hiss of his voice. Emmeline Vance entered wearing a heavy cloak. She glanced quickly at Sirius before deliberately turning her back on him.

Tonks squeezed Sirius' arm and quietly asked, "All right there?"

"Never let them see you hurting, Tonks. Remember that," murmured Sirius. She could see him straighten his shoulders and adopt that arrogant tilt to his chin that was a Black trait.

Tonks could sympathize with Sirius for try as she might, she couldn't catch Lupin's eye before the meeting began. During the meeting, Lupin's attention was either on Dumbledore or surreptitiously on his book. When they adjourned, Tonks was beginning to feel quite disheartened.

She had made up her mind to confront Lupin, but she was waylaid by Bill Weasley just as she saw the Professor disappearing up the stairs with that blasted book.

"Tonks, are you going to Otto and Gretchen's wedding?" asked Bill. "Fleur was worried that she wouldn't know anyone there."

"Er, yeah, in fact, I'm taking Remus with me," admitted Tonks quietly.

Bill quirked an eyebrow at this, but decided to save the teasing for later. "Perfect, she'll really feel comfortable with both you and Remus to talk to. I have to be Otto's best man, so we won't be sitting together during the ceremony. We'll meet you at the hotel then."

"Sure, Bill. I'm glad you and Fleur can date openly now," said Tonks.

Bill leaned in to Tonks and said, "And are you and Remus testing the waters?"

"More like carefully wading," murmured Tonks. "But I'm sure Remus will also be happy for the company at the wedding. I'm supposed to play watchdog for Gretchen. Look, I better find Remus before I leave. See you."

Tonks quickly went upstairs, but found the bedroom empty except for her cloak. She donned it and as she was going downstairs, met Sirius who was carrying a very contented Wimples.

"You haven't seen Remus, have you?" she asked.

"No, I thought he was upstairs with you," replied Sirius.

Tonks just shook her head but then Wimples began to wriggle out of Sirius' arms.

"Wimples!" cried Tonks.

She ran after the vorpal bunny with Sirius behind her. The were-rabbit didn't stop until he came to a door to a closet in the hallway and began scratching at it.

Tonks looked at Sirius. "What the hell?"

Sirius just quirked an eyebrow and pulled open the door. "Remus, come out of the closet."

To Tonks' surprise, Remus Lupin's body tumbled onto the floor in front of them. The closet had been small, so he had been leaning against the door to fit in the cramped space. His wand still held its lumos spell and a book was clenched tightly in his hand.

The man looked up, clearly flustered, being careful to close his book and set his eyeglasses back on his nose properly. The Scholar spoke with a soft, apologetic voice. "I didn't want to disturb anyone with my reading."

"Reverting to old habits, Moony?" asked Sirius as he offered the man a hand and hoisted him up. He turned to Tonks and explained. "He used to hide in closets at Hogwarts every spring. One time he went missing for two days."

The tall man rose and dusted himself off, but refused to meet Tonks' gaze. "That's right, just an old habit."

"Peeves was the only one who could find him for us sometimes," said Sirius with a shrug. "Well, it's been quite a night and I need a good, stiff drink. Good night."

Sirius left them in awkward silence. The Scholar stood there wishing he could just get back to reading, but the woman seemed to expect something from him. He scratched his head, then leaned forward abruptly and pecked her quickly on the cheek. "Good night."

Tonks felt awkward as he said good night to the wall just beyond her shoulder rather than to her. He walked away before waiting for her response.

Tonks shook her head, but rather than chase him, she collected Wimples and walked away to deal with her confusion. Had she just been given the brush off? Or was she still paranoid after Azkaban?

- - - - - - - - - - -

Once she entered her flat, she let Wimples out of his carrier and said, "Remus was probably still tired from the full moon last night."

Wimples twitched his whiskers.

"He would have felt bad if I asked him to stay with me and had to say no."

Wimples shook his body as if she were still missing the point, but she just pet his head and said, "And what would you know about men? You're a were-rabbit."

As she got dressed for bed, she wondered about Lupin's odd behavior. He had welcomed her warmly enough, but then he seemed to be avoiding her. Did he regret their new level of intimacy? Or had he simply lost interest now that they had--Her face began burning as she remembered. Did he think she was a tramp now? No, she couldn't believe it.

But Lupin had been reluctant to pursue this relationship all along. Wouldn't this be the perfect time to make their separation permanent?

But his kisses had been so tender, she thought as she got into her bed. As if sensing her disquiet, Wimples abandoned his top hat and hopped next to her to sleep.

"You weren't the bed partner I had in mind," muttered Tonks, but she pet the soft fur of the vorpal bunny. "Looks like your not my only furry little problem, eh?"

Tonks sighed and closed her eyes. "Remus Lupin, show your true colors."

- - - - - - - - - -

_In Pscyhe - _Remus was walking through the maze of hedges whose green corridors seemed to be constantly shifting. He was determined to regain control of his body and in this, his years of lycanthropy actually gave him an advantage. The night at the Shrieking Shack he had lost control as much from having relied on the Wolfsbane during his months at Hogwarts and had let his mental discipline slide. But after that fateful night, Remus worked to maintain his grasp on himself and reality through his own mental effort and not just rely on the potion. -

- Remus lifted a hand and the corridor in front of him quit shifting. Good. He continued in this manner until the labyrinth became stable. It was now a matter of finding the center that held Wolf Rock and paying his respects to the Scholar. The soul was so familiar to him that Remus smiled as he finally approached the vestige of the spirit sitting in the shade of the lighthouse as he read a book. -

- "You surprised me this year," began Remus, but the Scholar ignored him and continued reading. Remus sat down beside the man and let his mind touch the other. He sighed as he collected the events of the past day and patiently said, "I need my body back now." -

- The Scholar finally looked up at him with annoyance, although his voice was quiet. "So soon? But I haven't even finished the book." -

- Remus reached out and gently removed the book the Scholar was holding. "I think I, I mean you, er, we hurt Tonks' feelings." -

- "Tonks? Your woman." The Scholar sighed and looked directly at Remus for a long moment as he read his thoughts. But when he spoke, his tone sounded petulant. "You don't think you can have a life with her anyway. Logically, you should let me stay and keep pushing Tonks away." -

- Remus considered this for a moment. "Be that as it may, I also promised her I'd give her a chance to show me what being together would be like." -

- The Scholar huffed in irritation and seemed about to argue, but he blinked for a moment and said quietly, "Tonks smiles like my wife did." He looked up at Remus and added, "I miss her." -

- "Then go back to her," urged Remus. "I thank you for the help you gave me, but there is nothing for you here now, unless these books are more precious to you than your wife?" -

-The Scholar seemed to hesitate, but then he stood and let the book fall. "No, there is nothing more precious than one you love." -

The headache was excruciating, but Remus Lupin soon found himself lying on the floor of his bedroom with a book lying open by his side. He sighed in relief. The Scholar's presence had been so strong this time. Surely he'd paid the price for calling on Lyonesse? No matter, he could deal with the Scholar easier than the other. He dragged himself up to bed and fell into a deep sleep.

- - - - - - - - - -

_March 20  
Grimmauld Place_

Remus Lupin woke up tired and sighed when he found himself alone in the bed. His head began throbbing when he lifted it, so he carefully lay back against his pillow. The price he paid each year for drawing on his legacy was to host the spirit of his ancestors on the day of the Spring equinox. The possession by ancestral spirits was not something the family revealed to others. In fact, no one except Dumbledore knew about the debt he paid every year if he used the healing of the Lyonesse bloodline.

This visitation had come early. He had vague memories of the Order meeting, but he cringed when he remembered the Scholar's actions after the meeting. The Scholar was a familiar manifestation and not so at odds with his normal behavior that he couldn't usually explain him away. But the persona was stubborn, logical, and always intent on catching up with his reading. And horribly shy! Remus wasn't quite sure how his ancestor had managed to sire a son. Obviously the Scholar's wife had been a very special woman.

"Oh, no." Remus murmured the words when he remembered the Scholar had committed him to travel to Heidelberg with Tonks to attend Steinhauer's wedding.

The Scholar himself wouldn't be such a difficult price to pay. In fact, he was the spirit Remus usually channeled with the equinox. There had been another manifestation, though, who had begun to appear after Remus had graduated from Hogwarts and his father had died. The Scamp was like a Marauder unleashed, full of mischief and always ready for a new adventure. Remus remembered that the first time the Scamp had appeared, he had barely regained control in time to prevent the Scamp from going home with some strange woman he had chatted up at a bar.

Remus took a deep breath and sat up. He hated to disappoint Tonks, but he would be safer locked in the cell at Wolf Rock for the next few days. He should have anticipated that the manifestations would begin early this year given how frequently he had called on the healing powers of Lyonesse.

He rose with determination and was just getting out of the shower when he heard her voice.

"Remus, you've got fifteen minutes to pack before we need to leave," called Tonks as she came up the stairs. The Auror had decided she was going to act as if there was nothing wrong between her and the Professor. She was just a bit touchy from her time at Azkaban.

Remus dressed quickly and was just buttoning his shirt when Tonks opened the door and smiled brightly at him. "Wotcher, Remus! Are you just getting up?"

"Tonks, I--" That's as much explanation as the man gave before clutching his head as the pain washed through him. He bent over and took several deep breaths, but when he looked up at Tonks, he smiled charmingly at her.

"Remus? That's not funny," said Tonks as she laughed and slapped at his shoulder. "Don't pull the headache routine to get out of this date."

"I wouldn't think of it, luv," said the Scamp glibly. What luck! No need to search for a woman when there was a willing one on your doorstep. He took her in his arms as the passion clearly flared in his eyes and dipped her backwards for a kiss.

_Thunk._

When the woman lost her balance, the momentum carried the Scamp forward and right into her knee. His pale face attested to the attack on his manhood.

"Oh, Remus, I'm so sorry!" Tonks was kneeling beside him, fretting over what to do when their host intruded on them. Sirius had been intending to say a quick farewell before he caught them with their bodies tangled together on the floor.

"Honestly, you two, it's rude to cavort so loudly," began Sirius, but then got a close look at Lupin's pained expression. "Moony, it's supposed to feel good, not like you're on death's door."

"I--I--knee--I--" Tonks could only stutter.

Sirius rubbed his eyes as understanding dawned. He waved his wand to relieve his friend's pain and walked off in disgust as he mumbled, "Amateurs! Work on this during your trip or I'll forever be ashamed to associate with you."

Tonks was still kneeling by Lupin who was now sitting up and taking a deep breath. She touched his cheek and asked, "Are you sure you'll still go with me?"

The Scamp could smell her light perfume and feel the warmth of her body. In response, he followed through with the kiss, this time making sure to keep his movements simple. But soon Tonks felt herself being pressed onto the floor.

"Wait, er, we need," began Tonks.

"Yes, need," agreed the Scamp as he began trailing kisses along her throat. But when one hand began slipping under her shirt, Tonks broke the kiss.

"We don't have much time before we need to catch the boat. Come on, I'll help you pack," said Tonks as she rose.

"Why don't you pick out what you want me to wear--or not," said the Scamp suggestively.

Tonks turned to look at him in surprise. He was definitely flirting with her, but not in a normal Remus sort of way. "Let's see, how about your dark suit?"

Tonks wound up doing most of the packing while she continually dodged kisses and caresses. "Remus, it's not like you to be so, er, frisky."

"I'm full of surprises, luv," admitted the Scamp, then quickly turned to hide a frown.

The woman really was clumsy. The Scamp had bumped his nose on her head and been elbowed as he tried to nibble on her ear. He had just missed having his eye poked when she waved her wand to execute a packing spell. The clothes had sort of crawled into the duffel she was packing at that.

"Well, it looks like we're all set. Let's go!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_March 20  
Heidelberg_

Tonks and Lupin arrived at their hotel in Heidelberg and barely had time to drop off their bags before being summoned for the city tour arranged by the wedding party. Gretchen was pleased and Otto looked pale as soon as he set eyes on Tonks. They were introduced to a company of five young women, including the statuesque Maid of Honor named Heidi, and seven men who were part of the wedding party. Bill and Fleur arrived shortly thereafter, so the rest of the afternoon was spent seeing the highlights of Heidelberg.

The Scamp controlling Lupin's body found the day rather bright, so he covered his eyes with dark sunglasses. He was immediately attracted to the young blonde companion of Tonks, the Fleur Delacour girl, but she quickly invoked a repellent charm around her to keep the men at bay. Try as he might, he couldn't shake off the feeling that approaching Fleur would be like stepping into a venomous tentacula.

This is soooo boring, thought the Scamp as he scanned the company, so of course he had to liven things up. He began by covertly casting a charm that made the bodice of the young fraulines' dresses just a bit tighter. He was rather pleased by his handiwork and the men in the party seemed to appreciate his efforts.

But then that Tonks woman ruined it by reversing the spell. In retaliation, the Scamp had to escalate his magic. He cast an itching spell that set all of the lovely Bridesmaids wriggling and reaching, especially Heidi. Actually, she seemed to be enjoying an excuse to wiggle. The Scamp was rather pleased with the outcome--until Tonks again realized what was happening and countered his spell.

Luckily for him, the hapless groom, Otto Steinhauer, seemed to be the main suspect. The Scamp smiled at this outcome and continued his wizardry. An opportune breeze that would make skirts flutter up to reveal shapely legs seemed innocent enough, as did the occasional wiggle of the floor to create a stumble.

The spontaneous release of buttons was probably a bit much, but the Scamp made sure that was an individual attack. It took some time before Tonks caught onto that one and in fact, she would glare at Otto who returned a perplexed expression. The Scamp spent quite a bit of time smirking about Tonks' inability to discover the true culprit. Then he made the mistake of striking at Heidi again and clearly aroused Tonks' suspicions. That ended that escapade.

As they sat on a boat during a dinner cruise on the river, the Scamp had to make sure that a couple of the more buxom women, including Heidi, were splashed with setzer water. He frowned when Tonks was there with wand at the ready to dry them off. Furthermore, rather than glare at Otto, she looked directly at him. The Scamp really needed to ditch her if he were to have any fun at all.

But then the Scamp made a surprising discovery that brought Tonks back into his favor. It appeared that Fleur was upset by all the attention Heidi was giving to Bill Weasley. The maid of honor kept insisting on photographs of the wedding party, which included Bill but excluded Fleur. In order to make the other woman laugh at the situation, Tonks would exaggerate Heidi's features and make her face a caricature while her hair reflected her personality with rather wild colors.

Tonks was a Metamorphmagus! The Scamp couldn't believe his luck. Here was a woman who could become any of his fantasies--and he had an infinite number of those. He slid along the bench to initiate his conquest of Tonks again, but found the witch to be stubbornly unresponsive to pleasing her man.

"Can't you just do it a bit blonder and, you know, perkier?" pleaded the Scamp. His hands were raised chest high in clear indication of what he wished were perkier.

Tonks swallowed her disappointment. It was the third time Lupin had made the request during their tour of Heidelberg. She had thought that Remus liked her pink hair and was satisfied with her natural body. While at Azkaban, she had been convinced that Remus did love her, but now she blinked back her tears of disappointment. It was as if she had been dealing with a stranger since her return. Was he acting like this to get rid of her?

Still, she took a deep breath and scrunched her face. "How's this?"

Fleur giggled at the outcome. "Eet eez like a bouquet!"

Indeed, Tonks' hair carried every color of flower, including yellow. The Scamp gave a tight smile and his leg began to bounce in irritation. He needed to get away from the Love Boat and take care of his own needs. It was obvious that Tonks wasn't interested in doing what was necessary to keep him happy.

When the boat docked, the Scamp disappeared into the night while Tonks was preventing Fleur from turning Heidi into a toad for grabbing Bill and planting a kiss on his mouth.

Freedom! It would take little effort to pick a few pockets, find a good pub, and chat up a willing woman. The Scamp was grinning at his resourcefulness. But the Scamp didn't realize how quickly an Auror could cast a tracking spell. He could run, but he couldn't hide.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Fleur and Tonks left Bill in front of the room he was supposed to be sharing with Lupin. As they entered their own room at the hotel, Tonks was fretting. The rehearsal was about to start and Bill, as best man, was a necessary presence. Gretchen had also insisted that Tonks be there to make sure Otto behaved himself.

"I'd rather be out looking for Remus than policing the rehearsal for Gretchen," muttered Tonks. She waved her wand and a map of Heidelberg appeared like a hologram in the air. A bright green dot that indicated Lupin's general location was flashing.

"Transfer the _persequor_ spell to my wand. You protect my man and I weel look for yours," offered Fleur.

"Fine, I'll cast a lasso spell to keep Heidi's hands off of Bill for you."

"I weel tie Lupin with rope and leave him on zee ground outside the hotel with zee garbage," said Fleur with confidence. "He deserves no better for making you worry."

Tonks laughed at the image of Fleur delivering Lupin in that manner. "I'd hate to think of him out in the cold completely immobile. Just find Remus for me and send a signal. I think he's finally showing the strain he's been under this past year."

"Lupin is not acting like Lupin, I theenk," offered Fleur, then suddenly gasped. "He eez not suffering _imperio_?"

Tonks was flabbergasted. Had Lupin been drawn to Kensal Green so that a Death Eater could cast an _Imperio_ spell? "I hadn't considered that, but I know that Remus has developed a strong will because of his lycanthropy. If anyone could fight being controlled by another, it would be Remus."

"_Bien,_ you can bring Lupin to theez room to take care of him," said Fleur. "I weel stay with Bill and guard him tonight."

"Guard Bill? Against what?" asked Tonks with a puzzled frown. Bill Weasley was a curse-breaker; he needed no bodyguard.

"Against any sneaky beaches," explained Fleur.

"Beaches? Oh, oh, right, yes, you do that," agreed Tonks.

Tonks was amused by the vicious way Fleur was slapping her wand against her palm. She wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of the Delacour wrath. She also envied the other girl because the Auror was changing into a dress while Fleur slipped into her track suit. Fleur even did the proper stretches athletes performed before running a race.

Just before they parted ways, they slapped the palms of their hands together.

"_Bonne chance_," they called as they saw to their duty.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Fleur Delacour had an easier time than Tonks did that night. The blonde was completely focused on her task and soon tracked Lupin to a series of pubs that were by one of the old stone bridges of Heidelberg. Fleur nodded in satisfaction when she found him at a bar called Vetters. She watched him for about an hour before Tonks apparated by her side.

"Whew! I'm glad that's over. Here, you better apparate straight to the hotel lobby. The _liga_ spell won't last much longer on Heidi," explained Tonks. "But don't turn anyone into a toad."

"Ha! I weel be like Moody and bounce her like a ferret!" The gleam in Fleur's eye was a bit disturbing, but at this point Tonks figured Bill could sort things out with her better than she could.

"You do that," agreed Tonks, "and thanks for the help."

The bar was very crowded and Lupin successfully used various groups of patrons to avoid her. At least she dislodged him before he put any more moves on that redhead sitting beside him. But then Lupin managed to dodge out of Vetters before Tonks could confront him. In fact, Lupin managed to ditch Tonks for about half an hour before she realized he had left a doppelganger.

Tonks was soon on his track and walking into Napper Tandys, an Irish pub in Heidelberg that actually served Guiness. That was the Scamp's downfall for he was more interested in enjoying his pint than in flirting with the women next to him. Again, the bar was crowded and Lupin was strategically using Muggles to prevent Tonks from using her magic, or so he thought.

But then Tonks surprised him by sitting down at a table across the room but in his line of view. She ordered her own pint and lifted the mug in salute before taking a big drink.

The Scamp smiled. So, the girl was giving up? Perfect. He took a long drag of his own mug and sighed in contentment. Actually, the beer was much stronger than he remembered. Was it the Christmas brew, he wondered.

Another pint passed down his gullet when Tonks shoved aside the rather buxom brunette who was sitting beside Lupin, clearly inebriated. The brunette remained giggling on the floor.

"Aye, that washn't nishe. She's my chance for a bit of _hic_," exclaimed Lupin as he squinted down at the woman who had been at his side. He then looked up at Tonks and added, "You know, you look better affer a few pints."

Tonks blinked at the insult. This behavior was so unlike Remus that she began to consider he was indeed under Imperio. That was the only explanation that gave her hope.

"Remus, I'm tired of this game," said Tonks slowly, "so, I'll make you a deal."

Here Tonks surreptitiously refilled first his mug then hers with a covert flick of her wand. Lupin quirked an eyebrow and cocked his head to look at her. "Keep talking, _hic_, I'm lishning."

"If I finish my mug first, you come home like a good boy," began Tonks. She ignored his grimace and reeled him in. "But if you finish your mug first, I promise you I'll become your wildest fantasy."

Lupin didn't waste any time agreeing to the contest, he just picked up his pint, winked at Tonks, and began swallowing the brew. Tonks lifted her mug as well and drank down with a mighty thirst. The water felt good going down.

The Scamp didn't fare so well. It only took five seconds before he suddenly put his mug down, still half full, and sort of slumped forward. His cheek was pressed against the tabletop as he looked up at her and accused, "You cheated!"

Then his body shuddered as he was attacked by a fit of hiccups. _Hic, hic, hic_.

"No, I merely enhanced your experience," corrected Tonks as she showed him her empty mug. She then put one of his arms over he shoulder. She couldn't apparate until they were out of the Muggle bar.

"You're an _hic_-il woman." The Scamp could barely set one foot in front of the other. "You _hic_ brew more potent."

They were now outside, so Tonks turned to her charge and said sweetly, "Remus, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're safer out cold for the night than bar hopping in Heidelberg."

The sound of the apparation was the last thing the Scamp heard.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_In Psyche - _Remus Lupin swam against the current as he tried to regain control of his body. All around him was an infinite sea. The Scamp was more fluid in all aspects. Chasing him was like trying to catch a fish that would constantly dart through your fingers. But the Scamp's own habits proved to be his downfall. As the Scamp swam away, Remus was able to focus sufficiently to register what was happening to his body. -

- Guiness! Of course the Scamp would indulge in his favorite past time. Remus was finally able to catch the Scamp as his movements became more sluggish. Through the liquid, Remus was able to register, if vaguely, that Tonks had somehow managed to enhance the potency of the beer. -

- "Got you!" called Remus when he grabbed the other man by the scruff of his neck as he was carried by a wave. -

- The Scamp just laughed for moment before saying, "Lotta good it'll do ya, mate. The body out there's completely soused." -

- "Thanks for the added headache. Just sleep it off," suggested Remus as he towed the body and swam to a solid that had appeared. He looked up and saw the features coalesce into Wolf Rock. His ancestor would be safe enough. -

- "Here. You should be able to find your way back now," said Remus as he carefully set the man down. He shook his head and added, "I can't believe you were my forefather." -

- "And I can't believe you're from my seed," muttered the Scamp as he rolled over to get comfortable. "At least you've finally found a woman, but, like the fool you are, you don't intend to keep her, do ya? Ah, I never kept mine, either. She kicked me out of Wolf Rock a thousand times." -

- "I'm not surprised," said Remus, but before he walked away, he turned and asked, "And who was the mother of your children?" -

- The Scamp chuckled then emitted an all out guffaw. He pointed a finger at Remus. "She was just like your woman!" -

- Remus suddenly laughed and shook his head. Another equinox was over. -

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_March 21  
Heidelberg_

Nymphadora Tonks sat down beside the long body still slumbering in bed. She carried a glass full of a vile detoxicant, but she felt no remorse as she pinched the man's nose closed and then dumped the contents down his throat.

Gasping and coughing followed, only to be replaced by a loud, low toned moan.

"Oooooooh." Tonks took pity and cast a spell to relieve the headache as well.

Lupin's hands were cupping his head. He mumbled, "Where are we?"

"Still in Heidelberg," said Tonks as she set aside the glass and took a long look at Remus who was closing his eyes. "Who are you?"

Lupin opened his eyes to find her pointing her wand at his throat. He gingerly put his head back on the pillow before answering her question. "I am now myself."

"Now?" Tonks pressed the wand against his throat. Lupin had too much influence in the Order, would be able to get too close to Dumbledore if her fears were realized. She said the word she most dreaded as an explanation. "_Imperio_?"

Lupin blinked, but soon understood why she would think that. It certainly explained the wand at his throat. "No, not _imperio_, but Lyonesse."

Tonks moved the wand away and bit her lip. She knew that cases existed where an ancestral spirit kidnapped the body of a living family member. "Muggles call it possession or channeling."

"Yes," said Lupin. He closed his eyes and Tonks thought he had drifted off again when she heard his voice. "The price I pay for the healing power of Lyonesse is to host the spirit of my ancestors for a time. The year's dues are paid at the Spring equinox."

Lupin opened his eyes and looked at Tonks. She had a pensive expression on her face as she digested this news. She asked, "How many spirits can take over?"

"Only one at a time, but--" Lupin hesitated for a moment. "So far it hasn't been any of the, well, the evil ones."

Tonks threaded her hand carefully through his. "Are you all right now or will, will the Scholar or the Scamp be back?"

Lupin smiled and tightened his clasp. "It's funny you should call them that; that's how I've always labeled them." He exhaled slowly and offered his best guess. "This was the earliest this has happened. Typically it's just a day, just the equinox, but that's why the cell was built into Wolf Rock. If necessary, one could always spend the day safely locked away. What's harder is coming back, but I've gotten better at it over the years."

"So this year you had to pay the price for surviving the silver screening and for saving Arthur's life." Tonks nodded to herself. Of course, she could understand why Lupin didn't tap the healing powers if he could avoid it. "You don't like giving up control, do you? So you develop fastidious habits and curb your emotions."

Lupin nodded, then continued his explanation. "The first time the Scholar showed up, I was just as scared as on the full moon. It would take me a week to find my way back when I was a child, but as I got older, I gained more self-control. By the time I got to Hogwarts, it was just a few days after the vernal equinox that I lost. By the time I graduated, I could deal with the Scholar in a day. But then the other began showing up, the Scamp."

Tonks looked averted her gaze and he could see her clearly blushing as she voiced her question. "So, was, er, am I really your first?"

"As much as I was yours," replied Lupin as he reached out to touch her face. "I don't know why the Scamp keeps coming back. I always wind up frustrating his plans."

Tonks laughed and added, "He's a rather distractable fellow."

"Ah, yes, the Guiness," agreed Lupin. "The Scamp does like his brew."

"And I thought the Blacks had an interesting bloodline," said Tonks.

Lupin's voice suddenly sounded harsh. "It's not just the lycanthropy that makes me a freak, so that's why I never told Sirius or the others about Lyonesse."

"Remus! Don't you--you saved others from the torture of silver screening. You saved Arthur's life! You're no more a freak than I am," insisted Tonks, but then her shoulders slumped. "But I guess people have been calling me a freak all my life, too."

"Nymphadora, you're a woman of unique talent and I am truly sorry for anything they said, anything they did, that hurt you."

A soft laugh fell from her lips. "I thought you had decided to push me away again. They were doing a good job of not being you."

"I promised you three dates," said Lupin simply. They were silent for a moment and Lupin could now take note of the dark circles under Tonks' eyes. "You look tired. I'm sorry, you should have been relaxing and resting."

"It's not all about you," said Tonks quickly. "I really don't care to be used like Gretchen's watchdog. Bill will make sure Otto makes it to his wedding."

Tonks suddenly giggled, so Lupin asked, "What is it?"

"Fleur, she," and here Tonks bursts into laughter. After a few moments, she sobered up to explain, "Fleur managed to, uh, accidentally cast a spell on Heidi, the maid of honor? You know the one that kept trying to snog Bill? Or do you remember anything?"

"It's fuzzy, but I seem to recall a statuesque blonde dressed in green."

"That's the one. Well, last night after we got in, Fleur zapped her legs boneless by mistake. She caught Heidi trying to steal into Bill's hotel room and assumed it was a thief."

"It sounds like a very deliberate mistake," observed Remus.

"I thought Fleur showed a lot of restraint. Heidi looked rather silly flopping around on the floor, but it's nothing that Skele-gro won't fix. The point is that Fleur felt obliged to take her place in the wedding party and Gretchen readily agreed to use Fleur as a proxy. I think Gretchen was worried Heidi would go after Otto next."

"Ah, so what exactly are you saying?" asked Lupin.

"I'm saying, Professor, that I'd rather spend the next few days," began Tonks as she traced the buttons of his shirt, "recovering at Wolf Rock."

"But, Wimples--"

"Fleur and Bill will check in on him for me," said Tonks.

"I ruined our date," said Lupin with a sigh. "I wasn't even trying to this time."

"I know, but we did tour Heidelberg and go to a pub. And we still have St. Mungo's ball," reminded Tonks. "So, do we go to Wolf Rock?"

"Yes."

"And do I get a ride on the skiff?" asked Tonks as she kissed his left cheek and nuzzled his ear.

"Oh, yes."

"And a dip in the hot springs?" She kissed his right cheek and nibbled on his ear.

"It's been a while since they were visited by a water nymph," agreed Lupin as he finally cupped her face. He kissed her lips gently and Tonks had no worries that he was quite satisfied with a rather clumsy, pink-haired witch.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_March 21  
Wolf Rock_

The creaking of the walls of the lighthouse brought him a sense of security, but the woman's body against his filled his heart with warmth. For a moment, Remus could pretend that she was not just his lover, but in fact, that she was his wife. He smiled as he remembered that the Scholar and the Scamp had both recognized their wives in Nymphadora Tonks.

He breathed in the scent of her hair and caressed her bare shoulder as he tried to burn an imprint of the sensation into his memory. He was foolish to let this happen again, but then his biggest mistake had been to collide with the fairy floss torpedo in the first place.

He stretched a little and heard Tonks' little moan of complaint, so he brought his arms around her again. Bossy thing, even in sleep, but there would soon come a time when these moments would be nothing more than a memory and the stuff of dreams. He felt himself drifting back into slumber.

Tonks breathed deeply and a smile touched her face as she recognized Remus beside her. She dreamt she was standing by him on Platform 9 3/4 as the Hogwarts Express was leaving. They were waving madly and calling goodbye, but it wasn't Harry Potter and his friends who poked their heads out of the window to call a last farewell.

It was a lanky girl of about thirteen and her eleven year old twin brothers calling, "Goodbye, Mum, Dad!"

And in her dream, she and Remus were holding hands as they waved back.

_End of Chapter_

Minor edits.

Author Notes:  
I was hoping to have this up by Valentine's, but needed to tweak it a bit before I was satisfied. We are now up to spring of 5th year of HP and I hope you enjoyed the little Valentine detour in the story. I have no one but myself to blame for the Tonks' little ditty at Azkaban.

Yes, they finally Did It, but not they weren't drunk, swept away by passion, or promising a future to each other. What was more important than the act was that Lupin would have to love a woman before he would let things go this far. But yes, they are now lovers because I thought that part of Tonks' loss in HBP was knowing exactly what Lupin was denying to them.

The manus terra and liga spells were not canon. I thank HP Lexicon for approximate dates and information on Dolohov. Regarding the Patronus. It wasn't the sex, but the fact it expressed love, security, that made the memory a good one for a Patronus.

The bars in Heidelberg are based on real names, but that's about it. Kensal Green is a real cemetery as well and the tombs described were generated from images on the web.

Thank you for reading. One more chapter should do it unless I find the final plot line too complicated. I hope to finish before the end of March. Hope you enjoyed it.


	15. Sunsets

Summary: Remus finds a solution to his relationship with Tonks. Looooong final chapter.

**Nymph vs Wolf**  
_**Sunsets**_

_April 27  
Grimmauld Place_

At the end of her shift at work, Nymphadora Tonks intercepted the arrest warrant as it came through for additional validation and immediately headed to Order headquarters. She threw the warrant onto the kitchen table at number twelve.

Remus Lupin and Sirius Black looked up as she entered. Their necks swiveled in synchrony as the parchment settled onto the table top. "Read this."

The men quickly reviewed the charges:

::::::::::::Fugitives: Fred and George Weasley:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

::::::::::::Offense: Unlicensed Swamp Creation in violation of the Water Conservation Act::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

::::::::::::Location: Heading away from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry on broomsticks:::::::::::::::::

::::::::::::Caution: Armed with wand; therefore, DANGEROUS!:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

::::::::::::Authorized by: Dolores Umbridge, Headmistress, Hogwarts:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The laughter burst forth from the men as they finished reading. In fact, Sirius was wiping tears away from the corners of his eyes. It was up to Lupin to explain, "We had a chat with Harry just a while ago through the floo."

"What? That's dangerous; Umbridge could have--ooooh!" The giggles couldn't be suppressed and soon Tonks was joining the men for another round of laughs as she sat down. She finally sobered up and said, "So Fred and George created a distraction for Harry. I bet they're on their way to Number 93 Diagon Alley."

"Where's that?" asked Sirius with a grin.

"They've leased a store on Diagon Alley with a flat above it. They're now the proprietors of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, a joke shop," informed Lupin as he put his arm around Tonks' shoulders.

"We should go intercept them," said Tonks, "although I don't see how the arrest warrant can stick. They're eighteen now, right?"

"Yes, their birthdays were on the first of April," confirmed Lupin.

"Of course, why didn't I realize they had to be born on April Fool's," murmured Sirius.

"They've been independent for a year now, so they can't be made to go back to school if they've quit. Fred and George didn't sign a conditional consent for their return to Hogwarts. Dumbledore accepted them on their own promise of good behavior. Even the little fiasco on the Quidditch pitch didn't shake his faith in them."

Tonks grinned and shared a glance with Lupin. "Want to bet that the Toad didn't do her homework on the Twins?"

"All right, you two. What else is going on here?"asked Sirius.

"Not only are they not under her jurisdiction, but they have an allowance for taking NEWTs on demand with two weeks notice from any qualified examiner. Dumbledore saw to it when we told him about their enterprise, so the documentation was filed before he was removed as Headmaster."

"So they can make their NEWTs and have the equivalent of a degree from Hogwarts," said Sirius with a nod. "Clever. But what about the arrest warrant?"

"I snatched it out of the reject bin. Seems Umbridge forgot that once she was declared the Headmistress of Hogwarts, her position at the Ministry that allowed her to authorize arrests was suspended."

Lupin squeezed her shoulder and chided, "You could take this through the proper chain of command, of course, if you deem it was a matter worth pursuing."

Tonks took the warrant and fanned herself with it. "All this paper is good for is stirring up some wind."

"When you see them, tell Fred and George, 'Bravo!' for me," said Sirius. "It's nice to see the Marauder spirit has not deserted the hallowed halls."

"The spirit lives," said Lupin in echo of Sirius as they clasped their hands in a high grip. Lupin then turned to Tonks and said, "We should go to the Burrow first to tell Arthur and Molly."

"Sirius, let me take a bottle of that good firewhiskey you have. I think Molly's gonna need fortification." Tonks caught the bottle Sirius sent her way, gave a sharp salute and followed Lupin out the kitchen.

As they left, Sirius settled back with a smile. Things had been so tense since the DA club had been discovered at Hogwarts and Dumbledore had been forced into hiding. Sometimes he felt he could never shake off the gloom of Azkaban, but an evening like this made all the difference. Hearing about the Twins' escapades, reliving the memories when the Marauders were at Hogwarts--

"James, you'd be so proud of Harry," sighed Sirius. The boy was as dear to him as his own son would have been. His thoughts turned fleetingly to Emmeline Vance and her last request of him, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. He would live for Harry Potter; that was enough.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A few hours later, the silhouettes of the three wizards and the spikey-haired witch could be seen from the window of the flat at 93 Diagon Alley. Hands were waving wildly and peals of laughter wafted down to the street.

The noise caught the attention of a rat who poked his head out of a rubbish bin. The rodent slipped out awkwardly and a metallic clink accompanied the movements of his paws as he crept forward. The creature lifted his head and twitched his whiskers.

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

The rat scurried back into the shadows as a tall wizard walked out the front door of the shop in the company of the witch. The witch hugged the young wizards, but then moved to stand closely by the tall, older wizard. The Twins finally closed the door and the couple turned The rat could clearly see their faces and became perfectly still when he saw the smile they exchanged and registered how their hands clasped before they disapparated.

The rat shook his body, then began nervously gnawing on his paw. There were plans to be made; he mustn't be hasty. Lupin had a woman? Not for long.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_April 30  
Diagon Alley_

The rat's surveillance of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes paid off. He saw Remus Lupin land on the sidewalk and dismount his broom as he completed his circuit around the joke shop. The Professor suddenly looked in the rat's direction, so the creature scurried away under the protection of the shadows. Patience.

"See something?" called Tonks as she swooped to land beside Lupin.

"Just shadows," replied Lupin with a shrug as she dismounted. "Let's do a final inspection of the ward." He waved his wand and looked quite satisfied. "It's a perfect celtic knot."

"It's beautiful work. Fred and George are naturals at shield charms," agreed Tonks. "I wish we had more Ministry employees with their talent."

Lupin nodded, but then had to hold onto the feminine bundle that jumped into his arms when two more riders came in fast and low. "Eek!"

Fred and George Weasley laughed as Tonks literally jumped into Lupin's arms and hung on for dear life. She shouted, "That's a poor way to show your gratitude!"

"We'll give you first run at our inventory, Tonks," assured Fred as he leapt off his broom.

"The shield charm couldn't be stronger," called George when he landed.

The four of them had used a very advanced spell to protect the property from the Dark Arts, although preventing petty theft was a matter of vigilance. George stood beside his brother and both young men beamed with pride as they gazed upon their new enterprise.

"Quit gawking at the property and give me this preview of your wares, gentlemen," said Tonks as Lupin set her feet on the ground.

"Certainly, but first," said Fred as he grabbed a robe off a hook inside the door, "we have to put on our company robes."

Lupin looked at the bright yellow robes the Twins were donning and observed, "You know, if all you were selling were your Canary Creampuffs, that would work, but you might want something a bit less blinding."

George was unfazed as he flicked his wand and their robes became a deep magenta. "I thought this color would be more appropriate for the proprietors of this fine establishment."

The Twins looked to Tonks and Lupin for judgment and both agreed, "Magenta."

Having established the proprietary color, the Weasleys then began explaining their full inventory to Lupin and Tonks. They were duly impressed with the Skiving Snackboxes, the assortment of quills and the fireworks. Then the Twins mentioned their special section for the ladies.

"There's not much variety yet," said George.

"Just thought we'd dabble a bit, then see what happens," added Fred.

"Show 'em the Gushy Goo-goos. It's a frightful way to tease your friends," said George.

Fred threw a glance at Lupin and Tonks before quirking an eyebrow at his brother, who immediately nodded. He seemed to whisper to the box before offering it to Tonks. "The girls we tested got a laugh from bugging their friends over a boy they fancied."

Tonks took the heart-shaped box and opened the lid. A gelatin heart floated into the air and seemed to beat as a high-pitched, feminine voice kept squealing, "Nim-nim wuvs Weem-Weem.."

Tonks took one look at Lupin and doubled over in laughter. "Great stunning spell you've got there."

She turned to Lupin and waved her hand in front of his eyes. The stupefied expression remained. "Weem-weem, er, Remus? It's just a joke."

"It's a nightmare! Make it stop," he pleaded as his hands rose to cover his ears. "They've captured Moaning Myrtle's voice."

Lupin looked so chagrined that Tonks patted his arm comfortingly and used her wand to burst the heart. The droplets fell back into the box with a plop. The Twins were trying not to smirk at seeing their old Professor so put off.

"And how did you come to know Moaning Myrtle?"asked Tonks of Lupin.

"She was always hanging around the Prefect's bathroom," murmured Lupin with a shudder. "I developed a great appreciation for bubblebaths and earplugs after fifth year."

"Percy and Bill both found her annoying, too," muttered Fred.

"The girls at school liked it; we tested it on Lavender Brown and Romilda Vane," added George. "But perhaps we should find a new model for the voice?"

They looked at Tonks expectantly, but she said, "Try Fleur Delacour. She makes anything she says sound elegant."

"Oh, great idea," the Twins replied.

Lupin had finally recovered to the point where he took a deep breath. He turned with a satisfied nod to the Twins and said, "I think you've outdone Zonko's."

For once, the Twins seemed abashed and could only grin at the compliment. Then Tonks' eye was caught by a splash of pink just visible from their storeroom. "And what have we here?"

Fred and George suddenly looked at each other in accusation. "I told you to put her away--" "I thought you said you'd do it."

Tonks and Lupin walked forward and pushed the curtain to the storeroom open further.

"Oh my," said Tonks as her gaze fell upon the object.

Lupin merely quirked an eyebrow and whispered in her ear, "Definitely not the woman of my dreams."

In the meantime, the Twins were still stammering. "We didn't, actually, we're just testing--."

There before them, propped against a shelf, was a life-sized, Muggle blow-up doll complete with a pink wig of spiky hair. The doll stared blankly at the humans, although she seemed a bit smug about her endowments.

"It's Dad's fault, really. He, he found this, this Muggle artifact, see?"

"We'd been playing with hair for the Instant Metamorphmagus kit."

"Get Tonksified, you know?" Fred waved his wand and the hair color on the doll changed.

"But it was a joke--"

"We NEVER touched her, I swear!" The Twins ended with the synchronous proclamation.

"Well, we did dress her," admitted George.

Although Lupin quickly ascertained it wasn't a naughty sort of doll, he could see the twinkle in Tonks' eye that indicated she was going to have some fun with the boys.

"Then you won't fret if I check for residues of--" began Tonks.

"Okay, maybe we touched the, er, torso."

"But nothing else." The Twins looked to each other in confirmation and nodded madly to assure each other.

Lupin merely covered his mouth and tried to look stern. It just wouldn't do spoil Tonks' fun and laugh at the dilemma, but men had to help each other. He observed, "She is dressed."

"Yeah, Gryffindor uniform--I was a Ravenclaw, by the way," Tonks informed the Weasleys. "And while I appreciate the chance for, er, notoriety, as an Auror, I can't let you use my name for your tricks. Why, we'd have a Mad-eye Moody action figure if that were allowed."

"Bugger! And we worked so hard on this model," moaned Fred as he grabbed a doll from their worktable and tossed it in the rubbish bin.

"We can still sell the fake magic eye," admonished George as he grabbed the doll and plucked out the eyeball.

He was rubbing it like a marble against his shirt as Tonks wrinkled her nose and said, "I'll just have to confiscate this, boys."

Tonks grabbed her polyethylene twin around the shoulders before adding, "By the way, just how did you get a hold of the uniform? It's a bit large for Ginny."

"Probably one of Molly's," offered Lupin, although he thought it was more in proportion of Angelina Johnson. "But we best leave Fred and George to finish preparing for their big day tomorrow."

"Er, Profes--I mean, Remus," began George in a serious tone. "Fred and I were wondering if you'd help us out with the store in the first few weeks?"

"Just when you can; we know you're busy with missions for the Order," added Fred. "But we haven't had a chance to look for a clerk and, well, if our shop doesn't do well--"

"We'd hate to hire someone then have to let them go." George admitted this rather glumly, but then added, "But we intend to pay you, of course, or at least as much as the new werewolf restrictions allow. We don't want to take advantage of you, although you would have to wear one of our business robes."

Tonks surreptitiously squeezed Lupin's hand, but couldn't hold back her smile. She knew the Twins' simple request meant a lot to the Professor.

"Thank goodness it's not a canary yellow, then. I think I could help out as I can until you're confident of hiring permanent help," said Lupin. "I'll be here bright and early in the morning then."

Lupin shook hands with the Weasleys, then turned to Tonks.

"Let's introduce Nim-nim to Wimples," she said as she waved farewell by moving the doll's arm vigorously.

"Wimples might decide to deflate her, you know," murmured Lupin as they walked away.

"Wimples only attacks annoying men," assured Tonks.

And that's how a new resident came to be seen at Tonks' flat. "What do you think, Wimples? This is Nim-nim, she'll be a constant companion for you." Tonks pet the vorpal bunny who still looked suspiciously at the doll.

Wimples cocked his ear at his strange companion and looked up at Lupin as if the wizard could explain this new acquisition.

The Professor merely looked sympathetically at the bunny and consoled him with the words, "She might be an airhead, but at least she'll be quiet--unless you bite her, then she'll have a hissy fit."

Wimples seemed to consider his options, then hopped away with clear intention of ignoring Nim-nim.

"Good idea, Wimples. Now, why pay attention to a fake when you have a real woman?" Tonks chided as she grabbed the front of Lupin's shirt and brought him toward her.

"Why, indeed?" asked Lupin as he followed through with the kiss.

He was letting it happen again, he thought. He was indulging in the fantasy that he could have an ordinary life. Even though his temporary employment with the Weasleys was a menial task, the fact that they had asked him for his help made him feel--normal. And the woman in his arms responded to him so passionately, he could almost believe that he deserved to have her love.

Nim-Nim was soon left alone with her unchanging, vacant expression and her constantly changing hair color. Thereafter one could find her propped against the kitchen stool. But if the blinds on the kitchen window of Tonks' flat were left open, one could mistake the doll for the Metamorphmagus herself.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_The Merry Month of May  
Diagon Alley_

Wormtail couldn't sneak away to check Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes every day, but he was relieved to find Lupin at the shop each time he did. The rat couldn't approach any closer than the opposite street, but he could see the activity through the large, storefront window.

It delighted Wormtail to see the noteworthy scholar at such a menial task. What a waste of talent that was. Surely Lupin would feel degraded, but whenever the man left for the day, he was smiling. It was the same smile that Wormtail remembered when the Marauders had developed a new tool for mischief.

Worse, when there was a lull in customers, Wormtail often saw the Professor's head bent over a drawing or set of notes that the Twins had presented him. The sight made Wormtail's stomach lurch. Instead of seeing the Weasleys' red hair, Pettigrew remembered two black heads bent over as they stood on either side of Lupin. James and Sirius had always favored Lupin's opinion over Pettigrew's. The old rage began to build in his heart.

The rat gnawed on his paw as the memories flooded him, but then he perked up. The witch with the pink hair was approaching the joke shop. Lupin's woman.

This time the rat could hear one of the Twins call out, "Remus, it's Tonks!"

Tonks? What an odd name for a girl, but then, a werewolf was an odd sort of man to fancy. As luck would have it, it took little time before the couple was standing outside of the joke shop. Wormtail strained to catch their words.

"...beautiful day but I've been cooped up inside writing reports," grumbled the witch.

"We can walk to your flat," suggested Lupin, "and stop at the grocer on the way."

"Perfect! I need fresh veggies for Wimples..."

Their voices drifted off, so Wormtail hurried to keep up with them. Luckily their stop at the grocer gave the rodent time to catch his breath. Damn Lupin and his long legs, although the little witch seemed to be able to keep up with his stride.

At one point Tonks saw him and stopped suddenly so that she yanked Lupin's hand. The wizard asked, "Tonks? Did someone cast a gumshoe spell on you?"

"No, I just, well, it must have been a rat."

Finally they arrived at a candle shop that was closed for the evening, but around the back they went. Soon Wormtail saw a light emanating from a window on the second floor. He caught sight of the silhouette of the spiky-haired witch. Satisfied that he had identified Tonks' flat, Wormtail fled into the night. Pettigrew mustn't rouse suspicions from his master; it was important to avoid distractions. Still, a man who had spent twelve years as a rat learned something about being patient.

Inside the flat, the couple was oblivious to the creature that stalked them. The door had opened and a familiar snarl from Wimples greeted them. The vorpal bunny was immediately distracted when Tonks dangled a tasty carrot in front of him.

They sat down to supper by using sitting cross-legged by the coffee table when Tonks pointed to Nim-Nim with her fork. "Fleur came by yesterday and changed her outfit. What do you think?"

Lupin glanced quickly behind him at the doll who was now dressed in a formal gown. "That's a rather fancy dress for Nim-nim."

"It was the one Fleur wore at Otto and Gretchen's wedding. She wanted to make sure Heidi never got it."

"Heidi? Oh, yes, the man-eating maid of honor?"

Tonks nodded, then grimaced. "Fleur and I are going shopping for dresses tomorrow."

"Why do I get the feeling this was Fleur's idea and not yours?"

"Because you know I hate shopping for girly things," said Tonks. "But St. Mungo's Ball is only two weeks away now, so I can't put it off any longer."

Lupin shrugged. "The dress won't matter; you'll look lovely regardless of what you wear."

The man took the next bite of his supper and so was surprised to find the breath being squeezed out of him in the next moment. He swallowed as best he could and patted the arms that were wrapped tightly around his neck. "Tonks? I'd like to breathe."

"Oh, sorry, Remus, it's just--D'you know that you actually make me feel like I'm pretty?" she whispered in his ear.

He closed his eyes as he felt her warm cheek resting against the his ear. He rather enjoyed these intimate attacks and soon they would just be a memory. Lupin turned around so he could see her face. He touched her cheek gently and replied, "You are beautiful, Nymphadora Tonks. No matter what happens between us, remember that."

Tonks merely kissed the tip of his nose before sitting down to resume her supper. St. Mungo's Charity Ball was drawing near and Lupin seemed intent on preparing her for an end to their relationship. The man still had a few lessons to learn about the tenacity of the pink-haired witch.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_May 30  
Tonks' Flat_

It had only taken a few subtle hints for Fred and George to begin a more serious line of goods with their abilities to create shield charms. This venture had proven to be quite lucrative for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. The proprietors of the joke shop had soon begun interviewing potential employees, but were rather picky about about hired help. It came as welcome information when they had finally agreed on someone. Lupin had spent his last day yesterday at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes by training Verity, the new clerk.

It was a time of transitions as the night of St. Mungo's Ball arrived. One benefit of helping at the joke shop for the past few weeks was that Fred and George insisted on paying wages. The meager funds would do little to change his financial status, but as his third date with Tonks approached, Lupin had an interesting dilemma on his hands.

The Professor actually had the funds to give the young lady flowers. Because he expected that this third date would be their last, he wanted something special that he could preserve for her. Something that would help her remember the best of him and not the worst. He had spent the past week considering what he should order and had pestered Sirius unceasingly about the potential choices. Tonight he would find out if he had made the right selection.

Lupin knocked on the door of Tonks' flat with one hand while the other held a corsage behind his back. His collar suddenly seemed tight and he felt warmth flushing his face. Oh, this was ridiculous! This was Tonks! She was just, just--beautiful!

Tonks opened the door and stood there for a moment unable to say a word. Lupin was likewise left speechless. He was looking at an angel with a pink-tinged halo. Tonks wore a white sleeveless gown that seemed to shimmer around her body. For his part, Sirius had convinced Lupin to wear the Roman cassock that signified his status as a Scholar. It was considered formal wear in the wizarding world and was the nicest set of robes he had. The black robes accentuated his lean body nicely.

Lupin was the one who moved first when he suddenly thrust the corsage toward Tonks with a stiff arm. "Uh."

"Mm," was all Tonks managed to say, but then she looked down at the flowers. "Oh! They're luminescent! Are they really Wolf Flowers?"

"_Mariphasa lupina lumina_." Lupin cleared his throat and said, "They're to remind you of Wolf Rock, not, not the other."

His voice fell off a bit as he realized his big mistake. How could someone not associate the Wolf Flower with his lycanthropy? What had he been thinking?

But Tonks brought the flowers to her face and inhaled their delicate scent. "They're precious, just like the lighthouse.

Lupin exhaled as he realized she understood why he had presented her the flowers, but with his relief came a certain loss of verbal control. "They're specially preserved so they won't spoil and rot and Sirius said I should get you a wrist corsage instead of something that looked like a growth on your, uh, never mind, and since I've never, I mean, I thought he'd know--You look so beautiful."

Tonks' eyes were shining brightly and a smile touched her face at Lupin's uncharacteristic rambling. She slipped the corsage on her left wrist since her right one held the bracelet of pink shells Lupin had given her for Christmas. She said shyly, "Thank you, Remus. No one's ever given me flowers."

She stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips, but soon found herself swept into his arms for a proper kiss. There was a certain desperation there, but Tonks didn't let that dampen her response. She was determined that this would not be their last night together.

"You deserve so much more than I can give you, Nymphadora," admitted Lupin as he entwined his hand in hers.

"But all I want is you," sighed Tonks as she leaned against him. She closed her eyes for a moment and just listened to his beating heart. Tonight there would be no decoy dates or distance between their public appearance and the Wizarding world in London. She took a deep breath and said, "Let's go."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Lupin.

"Not everyone will be out to shun us, Remus. We survived the Grimball," Tonks said as she straightened his already perfect collar. "You look very handsome tonight. Bill and Fleur will be there as well as Kingsley. Have a little faith."

They walked out into the street, but Tonks stopped for a moment and frowned at the edifice across the street. "I hate it when Muggles just abandon a building. All kinds of vermin start showing up."

Lupin's gaze fell across the street. He could see the tail of a small rat disappearing into the shadows, but felt relief rather than concern. It was an ordinary rat, nothing special. "Crookshanks would have fun over there. Perhaps when the term is over, you can ask Hermione..."

They walked for a time before disapparating to St. Mungo's Charity Ball.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Two hours later they were back at Tonks' flat with the young witch practically in tears. Lupin maintained his stony silence, but was determined to see her safely home. Neither one noticed the rats in the alley this time, especially one who had sniffed the air as soon they apparated to the candle shop.

The couple entered the building, but when Tonks opened the door to her flat, she stopped abruptly before entering when Lupin said, "I'll say good-bye now."

Tonks stiffened. "You mean good night, don't you?"

"It's best that I leave," began Lupin, but he couldn't look at her.

At this point, the familiar snarl could be heard emanating from Wimples as he stood in the doorway.

_Snerf, snerf._

Both humans turned to find that the vorpal bunny had raided Tonks' drawer of unmentionables again.

"Wimples!" cried Tonks, but the bunny ricocheted around the entry hall.

"Up to old tricks, I see," muttered Lupin as he tried to help Tonks nab her errant pet. He couldn't leave Tonks to deal with her furry little problem alone.

"Got him!" But Tonks soon learned that Wimples could be quite amorphous when he set his mind to it. "Oh, bloody hell!"

The were-rabbit managed to wriggle out of her grasp and again was off.

"Here he--damn!" Lupin had managed to anticipate Wimples' trajectory, but a few strategic wiggles had liberated the furball again.

"In there!"

Wimples drew both of them into Tonks bedroom before they realized it. He leapt onto the bed and taunted them both as the fluorescent green bra dangled off his ears.

_Snerf, snerf._

But before Wimples could bounce away, Lupin and Tonks took opposite ends of the bedcover and threw it over the vorpal bunny so that he was caught within a tunnel of fabric. They sat on opposite ends of the bed to secure the exits.

Suddenly Lupin and Tonks exchanged a glance then burst into laughter. The were-rabbit was hopping within the tunnel rather vigorously, creating little lumps as he went along.

As they sobered up, they looked at each other and leaned forward. Only their lips met, but in that one touch, the obstacles they faced were diminished by a sense of hope, by the knowledge that in a world that would be against them, they worked best when they were together.

Lupin finally pulled back with a howl and rubbed his ribs. "Ow! He kicked me."

"I'm sure it was accidental," said Tonks as she reached under the blanket to pull out Wimples.

The bunny looked rather unrepentant to Lupin, but the Professor managed to remove the lime green bra from the long ears and tossed it on the bureau. Wimples immediately scampered away and they could see him jumping into his top hat in the living room.

Silence. Lupin told himself to be strong, that he had to end this romance if he were to salvage any of their friendship. But Tonks was determined not to let him walk away from her. She scooted closer when he would have risen from the bed.

"Stay." She looked directly into his eyes as she gave her command.

"This isn't, nor has it ever been, a good idea." Lupin's voice grew harsh as he reminded her, "You heard them. Their insults weren't just directed at me."

"People have been calling me names all my life, Remus." As she spoke, she took his hand in hers. "It hurts, but I won't let them define me, certainly not someone like Rita Skeeter."

"She won't write a word about us," assured Lupin. He had overheard the little chat Rita and Tonks were having and had felt no qualms in executing a pre-emptive strike. "She wouldn't want the world to know she's an unregistered animagus."

"I expected Rita's attitude. I was more surprised about the others like Madam Malkin, but I'm not a regular customer for her," observed Tonks as she tried to shrug that off. "It's not like being barred from her premises is going to change my life."

"But Scrimgeour could. He practically threatened to fire you for being with me."

"Let him try. I'm good at my job, Remus," said Tonks a bit stiffly. "With Death Eaters on the loose, the instability at Azkaban, and the odd incidents happening, the Ministry needs every one of its Aurors. I may never get promoted, but I will still do my work."

"And your parents? Don't tell me that tirade didn't hurt," said Lupin as he finally brought up the worst encounter of the night.

Tonks averted her gaze and brought her arms to wrap around her knees. She blinked away the tears that threatened, but her voice was firm. "They had no right to say those things to you. I never--I never expected them be so horrible."

"Nymphadora, they are your parents. Of course they'd worry about you," began Lupin in a half-hearted defense of Ted and Andromeda. "You weren't expecting them at the ball?"

"Mum never said a word to me about getting tickets," sighed Tonks. She laughed bitterly. "Some surprise, eh? They're good people, Remus, and I was hoping you'd meet them, but not like this. And I never realized that Mum thought you had corrupted Sirius."

"It was easier for her to blame the Werewolf than to lose faith in her beloved cousin," said Lupin quietly. He understood the reasoning quite well. "If I were Fenrir Greyback, she would probably be right."

"But Mum doesn't even know that Sirius is innocent! And I can't tell her without, without--What a bloody mess!"

"Now they see you as my next target." Lupin turned his face away from her as he added, "And even touching you is a violation."

Tonks' voice held her anger. "I can't believe how they accused you of, of--"

"Rape? That was a new one for me," confirmed Lupin. He couldn't stop the shudder that ran through his body. It had cut him deeply to think of the beautiful intimacy he shared with Nymphadora Tonks being reduced to something so ugly and violent. But he was a werewolf, so the assumption had been obvious. He had forced himself on the young witch and she was too afraid to defy him now.

"Damn it, I'm the one who's always jumping on you!" muttered Tonks as she wrapped her arms around him and leaned against his back.

"Yes, but sometimes I just lose control and--," admitted Lupin. Although Tonks initiated them, Lupin quickly became the aggressor in their sexual encounters. "And I have worried that I've hurt you."

"You are the gentlest man I've ever known, Remus. You are not some monster; you're the man I love."

She moved so that she could kiss him gently and Lupin allowed the contact to chase away the shadow the accusation had brought. Her kiss was passionate, willing; she held nothing back from him. When she released the kiss, Tonks murmured again, "Stay, Remus."

Tonight was not the night to end things. His need for her was too great when he was so wounded. Only Tonks could make him feel whole and human when people had thrown the monster in his face all night.

"I'll stay," Lupin whispered. "Tonight, I'll stay."

Tonks understood that he was promising no more than that, but still felt relieved. She had to believe her love was strong enough to endure this test. She accepted this, but also defined a way to continue their relationship.

"One day at a time," she agreed.

Lupin took her hand and gently kissed her palm before removing the seashell bracelet. He touched her other hand and inhaled the sweet scent of the Wolf Flower before removing the corsage from her wrist. She brought her arms around his neck and melted into him.

He woke up in the morning startled. His daughter had been crying and the voices of the boys had been fading. Lupin wiped his hand across his face. No, it was a dream and that family could never be his, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was threatening the children in his dreams. Was he losing his mind?

"Shoo, rat," murmured Tonks as she lay in against him. Her eyes were closed and the movement under the lids indicated she, too, was dreaming.

Lupin felt the hackles rise at the nape of his neck at her words. His dislike of rats had risen immensely since his last encounter with Peter Pettigrew. Surely it was just coincidence that Tonks had been dreaming about some rat while he had felt the sense of danger? It was easily explained by the rats in the abandoned building next door.

He tightened his arms around her. He made up his mind to try to search for Peter Pettigrew and to try to find a way to end this relationship with Tonks for her own good.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_June 15  
London_

Remus Lupin was walking toward the Kensal Green cemetery. He had spent the past few days avoiding Tonks because whenever they were together, the witch managed to distract him from his intention of dissolving their relationship. He had put his time to use by exhausting any magical devices that might help him locate Pettigrew. Moody had suggested focusing on a trace of the Death Eaters that had attacked him at Kensal Green. It was a rather rainy day and Lupin had his doubts this would prove fruitful, but on his trek his attention was drawn to a Muggle coffee house.

A woman was standing and her profile clearly indicated she was heavy with child. What had caught his attention was the woman's face: Emmeline Vance! Lupin stepped away from the window into the cover of the awning as Emmeline walked away.

Emmeline had wasted no time getting pregnant, Lupin thought. He closed his eyes and shook his head as he vowed to himself to never tell Sirius. But when he opened his eyes, another familiar figure was leaving the coffeehouse.

"Tonks?" Her name escaped his lips before he could think. Although her hair was brown, he knew her profile intimately.

"Remus, what--Wait. You've been dodging me for days. Why are you following me now?" Tonks' voice suddenly grew urgent. "Has Sirius found out?"

"I was on an errand, the same errand that's been keeping me busy the last few days," explained Lupin, although he was reluctant to admit he had been avoiding the witch. Even now he had to curb the impulse to just hold her, but he kept his thoughts focused on his recent discovery. "Sirius doesn't know anything and I'm certainly not about to tell him that Emmeline wasted no time finding an alternate sperm donor."

Tonks opened her mouth to say something, but then pressed her lips together. She had made a vow to Emmeline Vance and although it wasn't an Unbreakable one, she felt compelled to uphold it until she could talk some sense into the other woman.

"Well, good, because Emmeline didn't want him to find out. And it's best if she's the one to tell Sirius so she can explain everything," said Tonks a bit defensively.

"Emmeline looks healthy enough," said Lupin. "I don't wish her or her baby ill; I just wish she weren't so fickle."

"Sirius made it clear he didn't want to be a father--"

"He didn't want to be reduced to providing stud service," said Lupin. "And I don't blame him. Besides, I thought you were on his side on this."

"That was before I knew more about--" Tonks stopped abruptly and said, "Emmeline is not a bad woman, Remus. She's just trying to do what she thinks is best for her baby."

"And how do you fit into this, then?" asked Lupin.

Tonks fell silent, but then murmured, "I can't tell you, but, just trust me. I wouldn't do anything to hurt Sirius."

Lupin took a deep breath. Perhaps it would be best to use this situation as a way to distance himself from Tonks. It would be simple to just exaggerate how upset he was and--

It was at that point that Tonks touched his hand and whispered, "I've missed you."

Fools rush in, and he was the biggest fool of all. Lupin had no control over his body as he leaned in to kiss her right there in public. Her lips were sweet, so as he pulled out of the kiss he asked, "Chocolate?"

"Cocoa, I had an urge," confirmed Tonks with a grin. "Will you come see me tonight or do I have to hunt you down?"

"I--yes, I suppose we should talk," agreed Lupin. It would give him a chance to survey the area around Tonks' flat as well.

"No more talk about Emmeline, though. I think we have enough to discuss without that. I'll make supper for us." Tonks was about to walk away when Lupin called to her.

"Wait. You can't cook," reminded Lupin.

"Didn't say I was cooking," pointed out Tonks. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him quickly before running off.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Tonks' Flat_

Tonks was rather pleased with herself. She had not cooked a thing, but had still managed to make dinner. In fact, her mood had been so bright that she had removed the bridesmaid dress from Nim-nim and had decked her in one of her oldest Weird Sisters t-shirts and an old pair of denim shorts.

"Down, Wimples, I already gave you your own salad, now run along and attack those veggies," admonished Tonks. She turned to survey the Greek salad she had for them. She looked at Nim-nim and said, "And you, don't give me that look. The grilled chicken I got from the deli is not cheating."

Tonks turned to look out the window to see if Lupin was on his way when she noticed him leaving the abandoned building across the street. She opened the window, but stuck Nim-nim's head out of it as she called, "Hello below!"

Lupin looked up to find the torso of the blow-up toll protruding from Tonks' flat as one hand waved at him. "I'll be right up."

"What were you doing next door?" asked Tonks when he made it up to her door.

"Just taking care of the rat infestation. Muggle rodents can be so stubborn, but I got a nice bagful for Buckbeak."

Tonks frowned at him and said, "You're not hauling a bag of rats into my flat, are you?"

"No, no, I'll pick them up on my way to number twelve," assured Lupin as he turned his hands palm up. He had been a bit relieved to find that all of the rats were common rodents. Of course that didn't exclude the possibility that Wormtail had been there on another night.

Lupin put the thought aside for the moment. He had to convince Tonks of the futility of their relationship, so he had prepared his arguments carefully. He was convinced he could persuade the young witch to see the wisdom of parting as friends.

Although his intention was that this would be the night for breaking up, Tonks was cheerful as she led him to the coffee table in her living room. As usual they were sitting on the floor while they ate their supper.

"I think Wimples has had undue influence on me lately. I felt like a Greek salad, so I hope you like it."

Lupin was duly impressed with the meal that Tonks had prepared. He was about to finish the last bite when he said again, "This is delicious."

"Even the peas?" asked Tonks with false sweetness.

Lupin about dropped the fork that was heading to his mouth, but the sudden grin that lit Tonks' face gave her away. "Payback?"

"I admit I was tempted to toss a few of your favorite legumes into the mix," began Tonks, but then her voice became serious. "Remus, if you're going to dump me then do it face-to-face. And don't try to deny you've been avoiding me. I told you I'd abide by your decision after the third date, but I think it's a mistake to be hasty about, about abandoning our relationship."

Tonks took a large swallow from her wine glass because she had lost her bravado as soon as she had made her proclamation. Still, she preferred to deal with it than to not know where she stood with him.

Lupin set his fork down and took a large gulp of the wine that had accompanied dinner. Then he captured her hands in his. He kept his gaze on their clasped hands as he said, "Tonks, I'm too old, too poor, and too dangerous for you to throw your life away on me."

"You're still young enough to fall in love with me, Remus," sighed Tonks. "Or have I been nothing but a tumble in bed for you?"

As much as he wanted to agree with that statement, he couldn't lie to her. "No, I couldn't use you like that. You are everything I've ever wanted."

"Then isn't that all that matters?" pleaded Tonks.

"Life isn't ruled by our heart's desire, Nymphadora. You'll get tired of having to weigh every purchase. The cost of the Wolfsbane alone is a drain, but I couldn't afford not to take it if we were to be together."

"You don't think I can make that sacrifice?"

"I don't think you should have to make that sacrifice. It's likely I'll never hold a real job, so do you think I like the idea that one day you'd resent all the freedom that being with me has cost you? My debts become yours, my curse might as well be. And what happens when I can't afford the Wolfsbane? What do you think it would do to me if I hurt you?"

"I'm not some weak woman, Remus." Her hands were now clenched at her side.

"No, we'd never have come this far if you had been. I can't tell you how precious our time together has been for me, but I'd rather have you safely as my friend than wake up to find my wife is dead because of something I've done or failed to do."

Tonks nodded, but then his words struck her. "Wait. Wife? You're saying you--you'd marry me?"

"No, I was explaining that as much as I might want to, I can't marry you," explained Lupin patiently.

"You want to marry me?" asked Tonks in wonder again.

Lupin was now confused. How had this conversation about breaking up turned into one about marriage? "That's not the point. We can't get married--"

"But you want to!"

Why was the woman smiling at him when he had just told her--

That was his last thought before she attacked him passionately. "Tonks." She had straddled his lap and only let him up for a breath before she-- "Tonks, we need to end this."

"Mm, right, the bed would be much more comfortable." She hopped off and tugged his hand.

"Yes--no! No, we can't--"

"I understand, marriage is not on the present agenda," explained Tonks patiently as she led him to her bedroom.

"Right, so--"

"I understand. No marriage," assured Tonks.

"Good," sighed Lupin as he felt himself being pushed back onto her bed before she added, "Yet."

"Uh huh, mmm, no! No marriage."

"Right, that's what I said," replied Tonks as she slipped off his shirt.

"Oh." Somehow it all made sense or as much as he could logically put ideas together when she was doing this to him. "Oooh..."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Grimmauld Place_

Lupin was leaning the chair back on two legs and staring glumly at the ceiling when Sirius walked into the kitchen at number twelve.

"Feeling tipsy? Wouldn't firewhisky be better?" observed Sirius.

Lupin just looked at him. "She's gotten to you, too, hasn't she? The puns, I mean."

"My little cousin does have a way of getting under the skin. So what's your problem now? You've had your third date weeks ago and, judging by how early it was this morning that you came in, you're still together."

"That's the problem. I need to find a way to break it off with Tonks without breaking her heart. That's what I intended to do last night."

"But you wound up doing more than just talking, I assume."

"I thought I was presenting sound reasons why our relationship can't work. Then somehow we wound up talking about marriage instead. I'm still trying to figure out how that happened," murmured Lupin as he rubbed his chin.

_Whack!_

"Ow!" Lupin was now rubbing the side of his head at the spot where Sirius had popped him.

"Moony, you moron! You're heart's not in it, don't you see?" Sirius sat down by his friend and shook his shoulder roughly. "You love Tonks. Don't make it complicated."

"But it is complicated, Padfoot. She'd be shunned by society, place her career in jeopardy, and even become estranged from her own family, all on account of me."

"Estranged from her family? What the hell are you talking about? I'm her family and I approve. To hell with the Malfoys and--"

"Andromeda thinks I'm responsible for turning Sirius Black to the Dark Arts, Padfoot. She doesn't know you're innocent," reminded Lupin.

"How ridiculous!" Sirius sat back with a look of disbelief. He shook his head, then offered his solution. "Well, soon the truth will be out and I can vouch for you myself. See, problem solved."

"We have more problems than that, Sirius." Lupin stood up and said firmly, "Tonks deserves better than me and she's young enough to--to forget about me and get on with her life."

"Remus, don't underestimate the stubbornness of love," said Sirius quietly. "You know as well as I do that it's not something you can just turn off." He shook his head and this time put a placating hand on his friend's arm. "Look at us, will you? At our age, we finally fall in love and it's with a woman we both think we can't keep."

"Emmeline?" asked Lupin as he sat down again. He kept himself from saying anything but her name.

"Emmeline," admitted Sirius. "I thought we both knew how to play the game, but this time my winning meant losing her, forever. When she brought up the idea of having a child together, I laughed, Moony. I found the idea absurd because of what Azkaban had done to me. Why would any woman want a child tainted with my blood?"

Lupin frowned at this new information. It was not the story he had first heard from Sirius. "I thought Emmeline wanted you to father her child, but nothing else?"

"It was after I laughed that she said I wouldn't have to worry about raising the child or even acknowledging the child as a Black. I was hurt that she thought she could convince me to conceive and then abandon my own flesh and blood, so I just told her to go." Sirius looked at his hands on the table for a moment. "I wonder what would have happened if I had told her that I fell in love with her this time, that I wasn't playing the game anymore?"

Lupin thought about the pregnant woman and his heart broke for his friend. It was best not to increase his heartache. "You're right, we are quite the pair, aren't we?"

"Don't make the mistakes I've made, Remus," pleaded Sirius in a quiet voice. Then he tossed his head and assumed an arrogant posture. "Besides, if you break my little cousin's heart, I'll have to seek revenge for compromising her honor--and being a self-sacrificing git."

Lupin laughed at the threat and shook his head. He admitted, "Tonks did say we should take this one day at a time."

"Good. That's all anyone has, right? A day at a time? Merlin, sometimes I feel as if I have few enough days left, as if I never should have survived Azkaban."

Lupin was surprised to see tears shining in his friend's eyes. He hugged him close and as he held Sirius in his embrace, he knew the other man was crying.

After a time, Lupin said quietly, "You did survive and we're all the better for it, Sirius. I never would have acted on my feelings for Tonks if you hadn't been there to knock some sense into me. And you mean the world to Harry."

Sirius regained control and voiced his thoughts as they coalesced. "That's what I'll do. I'll write my will and make sure Harry is the heir to my estate."

"Good, if it will make you feel better, then do it." Lupin gave him an encouraging pat on the back and released him. "It could be tricky to designate Harry as your heir, but we should be able to create a magically binding document."

"Right," said Sirius, then blurted, "But I want to leave something for you--"

"No." Lupin's refusal was simple, but sincere.

"But, the Black fortune--"

"I want you alive and well, so bugger your wealth if you go off and die on me," insisted Lupin.

Sirius laughed before making his final request. "Fine, then bring Tonks over in a few days so she can serve as a second witness.

"It's a date," agreed Lupin.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_June 18  
Grimmauld Place_

Two nights later the Order held a limited gathering. Kingsley Shacklebolt had accompanied Alastor Moody to add their magic to the magical seal on the last will and testament of one Sirius Padraic Black.

"Well, let's get this done," urged Moody.

"Oh? Do you have somewhere to be, Mad-eye?" asked Tonks saucily. "You're not seeing Hestia Jones again, are you?"

"My private affairs are none of your business, you cheeky little witch," huffed Moody.

Shacklebolt's rich, deep laughter soon filled the room. "Tonks is too observant. And what was the problem with Buckbeak you mentioned, Sirius?"

"Got his foot injured somehow. I spent most of the day upstairs tending to him except when Snivellus decided to check up on me. Snape really likes to rub it in that I'm stuck in this house." Sirius shook his head and took the quill. "But Moody's right. Let's get this done."

Sirius carefully signed his name then handed the quill to Lupin. The latter's neat signature stood in contrast to the former's scrawl.

"Remus John Lupin," read Sirius with a nod. "Good, now for the last witness."

Lupin handed the quill to Tonks, who bit her lip for a moment. She had not yet been able to convince Emmeline to talk to Sirius, but drawing the will had seemed so important to her cousin. Besides, wills could always be changed later. Sirius and Emmeline had plenty of time to deal with their issues.

The witch made her decision and signed her name with a flourish: Nymphadora Vulpecula Tonks.

"You poor girl, no wonder you go by Tonks," observed Sirius with a sympathetic pat to her shoulder. Moody and Shacklebolt had actually grimaced at her name.

"Vulpecula? The fox?" asked Lupin.

"Mum wanted to stick to the tradition of constellations," replied Tonks with a curled lip.

"There, all done and official," called Sirius. "Gentlemen, lady, let's activate the document."

They chanted the spell and watched the magical seal appear as the ink of the signatures were absorbed into the parchment. He then poured a glass of wine for each of them and they raised their glasses in salute. "Thank you both for indulging me."

"I'll make sure this gets deposited at Gringotts," said Lupin as he tucked the document into his robes. "I'm meeting Bill there tomorrow when he gets back from France."

"That's right, he's off asking permission to marry Fleur, isn't he? How old fashioned," said Tonks, although she threw a sideward glance at Lupin at the word marry.

Lupin cleared his throat while Sirius laughed at his discomfiture, but the company was interrupted by a summons from Severus Snape via the floo.

"Lupin! A word if you please?" The familiar sneering voice came from the floo.

"Can't you leave me in peace, Snivellus?" groaned Sirius.

"Severus, I'm here with Sirius, Tonks, Moody and Kingsley. What's wrong?" Lupin found it best to limit any conversation between the two men.

"That boy has gone missing. It's likely he thinks that Black is in the hands of Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic."

"What? Are you sure?" asked Lupin.

"He went into the forest with Umbridge and I haven't seen them for hours. The fool believed Black to be captured and we all know how impetuous Potter can be. Now if you'll excuse me, I have my own search to conduct in the Forbidden Forest." Snape's face then disappeared abruptly from the floo.

"I'm going with you." Sirius stood up and pulled out his wand. The look on his face dared the others to argue the point.

"Sirius, let the Aurors do the job," urged Tonks. She felt a chill crawl up her spine at the coincidence, first the will, now the emergency.

"Harry is my godson and no one is going to stop me from helping him."

"Fine, but this is the last time you'll venture out of this house," warned Lupin.

He didn't realize how prophetic his words were to be.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Ipswich Hospital  
Ipswich, Suffolk_

Emmeline Vance had spent the past two months immersing herself in the Muggle world so that she and her child would be safely away from the eyes of the wizarding world. Her artistic talent would serve her well and she had already begun to build her reputation for portraitures. She would be comfortable; she would provide for her child.

Emmeline had explained everything to Tonks a few days ago. It seemed only fitting that the Auror be her secret keeper once the baby was born. If anything happened to Emmeline, she wanted her child to have one solid connection with the wizarding world and to his bloodline. She would leave England and settle in Switzerland after the birth and only Tonks would know where to find her. In the meantime, Emmeline had learned to live as a Muggle and made every effort to put aside her magic.

But as she sat reading, Emmeline felt the sharp pain at her side and her worst fear was realized when she saw the blood. It was too soon, two months too soon, but she refused to panic. She picked up the telephone and dialed the emergency number.

The next few hours were a daze for her. The medical procedures the Muggles used had once been foreign to her, but now she understood the term placental abruption, epidural anesthetic, and Caeserian section. She was awake, although a bit fuzzy headed, throughout the procedure that would save the life of mother and child. When she heard the first cry of her baby, she wept both with joy and regret.

The woman known as Emma Blackwell looked at her son as they brought him to her side. In spite of the spare, red-toned body of the premature baby, the black hair and the features were so familiar to her. She blinked away the tears of regret that the boy would never know his father. But she would never have anticipated that the reason for this was that at the moment their child took his first breath, his father fell through the Veil.

"You have a healthy baby boy. Have you chosen a name yet?"

Emmeline smiled wistfully before replying, "His name is Padraic Corvus Blackwell."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_The Aftermath  
Ministry of Magic  
London_

It seemed just minutes after Dumbledore had gone after Harry that the Aurors Dawlish and Williamson appeared in the Department of Mysteries. One tended to the captured Death Eaters while the other helped Lupin deal with the maladies of the teenagers and revived Kingsley Shacklebolt as they waited for the Healers arrived.

Lupin saw to his duties mechanically because he had never felt so empty. In his mind, he kept seeing Tonks falling on the stairs during the battle juxtaposed with Sirius falling through the Veil. In one night, the two people he loved the most were torn from him by the same fiend: Bellatrix Lestrange. He wanted to kill that woman and only Moody's cry for help had prevented him from disobeying Dumbledore's order to remain and help the others.

"Lupin! It's Tonks. She's alive, but just barely," called Moody. He had crawled to where Tonks lay and was cradling her head in his lap now. His good eye looked full of grief. The Auror had seen death too often not to see the evidence of life fading before him.

Lupin fell to his knees. He had not been able to save Sirius Black, but he might be able to save Nymphadora Tonks. His orders to Moody were simple. "Call the transfer of life spell."

Moody shook his head. "You're too weak, Lupin."

"Do you think I give a damn about my life if I lose her, too, now?" The pain of his recent loss seemed to echo through the chamber, but his tone had in fact been quiet.

Moody swallowed. If the Order lost both Tonks and Lupin as well as Black, it would be devastating. But the old Auror knew the bond between these two was strong so he made his wager and gambled with their lives. "_Dono vivificus vigoratus_."

As Moody transferred the life energy from the man to the woman, Lupin focused on _Lyonesse lives_. It was too early in the year to begin building debt, especially one that would be this high, but Lupin would sacrifice his mind just to have Tonks living a full life. That was his last thought before he collapsed.

"Damn it! And here I thought Lupin had come away without injury," observed Dawlish when he discovered the trio, two of them collapsed and the other bleeding.

"The night tore out his heart," muttered Moody. "There's no injury worse than that."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_June 20  
St. Mungo's_

Even with Lupin's sacrifice, it was two days before Tonks revived sufficiently for the healers to consider her on the road to recovery. When she opened her eyes, her first gaze fell on a familiar head of brown hair streaked with silver. Remus Lupin was asleep as he sat in the chair by her bed, but with his upper torso sprawled next to her.

She smiled in relief when she touched his head and felt the strands of his hair. This was real; this was, "Remus."

Her voice had been as soft as a sigh, but his eyes immediately opened. The smile that lit his face was a welcome sight and the touch of his hand on her cheek brought her a sense of comfort. "Nymphadora Tonks, don't ever make me worry like this again."

Tonks just smiled at him and whispered, "You know I can't promise that, but I'll do my best." She accepted his nod before she asked, "What happened? Is Harry all right? And the others?"

Lupin took a deep breath, clasped her hand, but then gave a succinct description of the general events except for one significant omission. It took her a moment to realize one name was missing.

Tonks swallowed the lump in her throat before asking her question. "Why haven't you mentioned Sirius? He came with us, so is he back at number twelve?"

Lupin could only shake his head for a moment. He brought up their hands so that the back of hers pressed against his cheek, but nothing could keep his voice from breaking when he said, "Sirius is gone."

"Gone? He, did he leave number twelve? We have to find him." Tonks was about to throw off the covers when she felt Lupin's grasp tighten.

"Sirius can't be retrieved," explained Lupin. "He was dueling with Bellatrix Lestrange and the backlash from the spell sent him through the Veil."

"Bellatrix?" Tonks closed her eyes. She had failed Sirius by not taking out that witch, even if she was her own flesh and blood. She had failed Emmeline Vance and their unborn child as well. The tears began streaming down her face, but she immediately found herself in Lupin's embrace. "I should have stopped her, should have--you must hate me for, Sirius is gone because I failed."

"Shush, don't say that. Sirius provoked her; he wanted her full attention, Tonks, so that she wouldn't finish the job on you." Lupin rocked her gently. He had not realized it until now, but as he replayed the events, he was certain that Sirius had drawn Bellatrix away from making sure she had killed her niece.

"I'm so sorry, Remus, so sorry."

"Sirius loved you, Tonks, and protecting the ones he loved was second nature to him."

"I'm not worth it," said Tonks as she sobbed against him.

"You are worth my own life, Nymphadora, don't you understand?"

Tonks began regaining control. Bellatrix Lestrange had cast a powerful spell; one that fell just short of killing her. The fact she had recovered at all was a miracle or-- "Remus? Did you call on your bloodline to save me?"

"It's a price I'm willing to pay." Lupin continued to hold her, but for the first time in days, his heart didn't feel empty.

But a few doors down from Tonks' room, Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall, still in hospital, were having a heated discussion.

"Do you think it's wise to dissolve the Order like this, Albus?" asked McGonagall.

"Minerva, I am not dissolving the Order. I'm merely sending certain individuals on critical missions."

"Kingsley Shacklebolt I can understand. We should have someone covertly working in the Muggle government, but why send Lupin into that den of wolves?" McGonagall shook her head. "Do you really believe that he'll be able to convince Fenrir Greyback to join us in the fight? It's absurd and even a bit cruel."

"I don't expect Remus to have any contact with Fenrir nor do I expect he can convince many to join us, Minerva. But, Remus is our best example that the Curse depends on how one chooses to live one's life and that might enough to prevent all werewolves from working against us."

"He'll still be mourning for Sirius Black. And if the rumors are true about him and Nymphadora Tonks, well, we shouldn't meddle."

"Their rumored relationship is the perfect foil for his immersion with the others. What better reason for him to leave the wizarding world to join them than a lost love?"

"Albus! I can't believe you'd break apart a young couple."

"Minerva, a romance between Remus and Nymphadora is just a rumor, but even if it's true, I have no intention of a break-up being more than Remus' cover story. They will understand how important it will be for the Order to put their friendship on hold for a few months. I won't assign Remus until after the term; I'm sure they can work on an appropriate solution."

McGonagall became silent. For all of his wisdom, it was sometimes amazing to her how blind Albus Dumbledore could be. On the other hand, he had enough issues on his mind now. She touched his hand as it lay on the rail of her bed. "I think I can understand about friendships being put on hold. I just hope it won't be indefinite."

Dumbledore smiled wistfully at the memories that were raised and the decisions he had come to regret. "I will never lose my faith in the power of love, Minerva."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_June 27  
The Hogwarts Express  
London_

Tonks walked away from Platform 9 3/4 with Remus Lupin by her side once they had said farewell to Moody. It was strange, but Tonks had never felt so connected with Lupin as she did now. With the loss of Sirius, it seemed that they had grown closer to make up for the void that had been left. In fact, they had not spent a night apart since then.

"I'll see you later at the flat," said Lupin when they had walked away from the train station. "I need to stop by Hogwarts. The Headmaster wanted to see me today about a new mission, so he's arranged for me to catch the Knight Bus."

Tonks tightened her grip on his hand. She had been contacted by Emmeline Vance and the news that Sirius had left behind a son had relieved her sense of loss a bit. At the same time, she felt guilty for keeping the information from Lupin. Still, this would be a good opportunity to meet with the witch-in-hiding to convince her to include Lupin in her plans.

"I have to check in at the Ministry, too. I'll see you at supper, then?"

"But I'll cook. Wouldn't want you burning the place down," teased Lupin.

"Just because it got a little smoky last--"

"A little? Wimples was wheezing the rest of the night. Good thing we opened all the windows."

"Fine, you cook, but I'll get the food. See you," said Tonks as she gave his hand one last squeeze.

Lupin looked at her retreating back for a moment. He wished that the intimacy between them would never end, but the foreboding about their relationship had been rising since Sirius had died. He sighed and walked to his rendezvous with the Knight Bus.

Six hours later as the bus was making its approach to Tonks' intersection, Lupin was preoccupied with the details of his new mission. Living among the Werewolves was the one thing he had promised his parents to avoid. The possibility of facing Fenrir Greyback was something that curdled his blood, although it was unlikely that he would be in daily contact with the fiend. Greyback preferred to visit his wealthy Death Eater friends nowadays, although he held to his philosophy of embracing the Wolf.

Lupin also regretted that the assignment would mean he couldn't make good on his promise to keep in touch with Harry Potter. The boy had lost his beloved godfather and although Lupin didn't consider himself a suitable substitute, he had wanted to be there to offer what comfort he could. Would Harry understand? Perhaps he could chance a meeting at the Burrow to see the boy? He vowed to do just that.

Would Tonks understand? For the most part, Lupin would be isolated from everyone except Dumbledore. His cover story of being rejected by an untainted witch was one that brought him the greatest discomfort. Here was a clear opportunity to break things off with Tonks before their present vulnerability made them do something impetuous. He had to admit that he had been tempted to whisk her off and marry her just to make sure he wouldn't lose her, but then logic prevailed.

And now he had been handed the perfect reason to dissolve their relationship and to put her on the path to a life with a man who could not just love her, but offer her all the things she deserved. Lupin looked out the window as the setting sun shone through the window.

But the tongue of flame soon became distinct from the orb of the setting sun. The location of the fire was also clear. "That's Tonks' flat!"

Stan Shunpike let out a whistle at the sight before them while Ernie quickly pulled the brake. He wanted the Knight Bus to come no closer. Before the bus had settled, Lupin was out the door and running.

"Tonks!" He didn't have to use his wand to call the spell to reduce the flame. His mind gave the commands with a thought: _Abscido aero_.

"_Abscido aero_," echoed Tonks as she suddenly stood by his side.

"Nymphadora? What are you--? You weren't in your flat?" asked Lupin as they ran forward.

"Forgot to get groceries," replied Tonks on the run, but she had dropped her bags behind her once she saw the fire. "There's Gisella!"

Tonks' relief was evident in her voice as they saw the elder landlady slumped on the stoop, but away from the center of the fire. Nothing was left of the candleshop and residence but the smoldering flame. Tonks forced herself to attend to Gisella and ensured the woman's breathing.

"Tonksie? That's some pet you've got. Came thumping at my door before, before--" Gisella's eyes rolled back as she again fainted.

"Stay with me, Gisella. The Muggle ambulance will be here soon," said Tonks, but then in a distressed voice turned to Lupin. "Wimples! Where's Wimples?"

Lupin looked away from the waste convinced that the were-rabbit would have managed to escape the conflagration. Now that the roar of the fire was gone, he could clearly hear the vicious snarl of the feral animal.

"He's attacking someone. There!" Lupin pointed to the abandoned building across the street.

The were-rabbit was hanging onto the back of a pudgy man with balding blonde hair and a metal hand. The man shrieked in pain and managed to reach behind him with the silver digits to grab his attacker.

"Wormtail." Lupin said the old nickname with nothing but loathing as he raised his wand. Tonks stood behind him, but could only gasp when Wimples was flung away like a rag doll.

With her attention drawn to the vorpal bunny, Tonks would fail to register the surprise on Pettigrew's face as he saw her. He had been certain the little pink-haired witch had been in her flat. He'd seen her sitting at her kitchen. Oh, he was going to be in so much trouble when the Dark Lord found out! He had counted on getting rid of two more Order members to balance out his disobedience.

Lupin cast a stunning spell, but Pettigrew accidentally deflected it when he brought his silver hand to cover his face. In fact, Lupin had to duck the rebounding spell and push Tonks out of its way as well.

He could hear Wormtail's laughter as he called before disapparating, "You'll lose everything before we're through, Remus. Everything!"

Lupin practically roared in frustration at Pettigrew's escape, but his attention turned to Tonks as she cuddled the were-rabbit. He had never heard the creature whimpering in pain before and when he looked closely, he could see the cost of the fight.

Wimples had a crushed back paw and was bleeding from a wound on his chest. His left ear was practically in tatters and his left eye below it looked as if it had been plucked out.

"Remus, he feels cold." Tonks sat beside Gisella and could only cradle her pet. Despair set in while the sirens of the Muggle firetruck and ambulance sounded in the background. The tears had begun to stream down her face when she felt Lupin kneel down beside her.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_June 30th  
The Forbidden Forest  
Hogwarts_

The wizard and witch approached the Forbidden Forest that surrounded Hogwarts with heavy hearts. This would be a time to say farewell to a loyal friend, but only one of them knew the true extent of the good-byes.

The pink-haired witch carried a furry bundle of white. The left ear was still tattered, although healed, and the left eye was permanently blind, but the were-rabbit yawned widely and looked around expectantly with his good eye as they entered the forest.

"I wish there were some other way," sighed Tonks. "Maybe we should keep him a little longer at Wolf Rock?"

"Pomfrey and Hagrid both agree that Wimples needed to be in touch with Nature in order to heal properly. He can't be your pet anymore unless--"

"Unless I want him to die," completed Tonks. She brought the soft fur to her cheek and said, "You've been a good friend, Wimples. I'll miss you."

Lupin took the vorpal bunny from her hands because he knew it would break her heart to be the one to release him into the wild.

_Snerf, snerf._

"Glad to see you've got your spirit back," observed Lupin as he set the were-rabbit on the ground.

Wimples took a few hops in one direction, sniffed the air, then hopped away after changing his angle. Lupin stood by Tonks who was sitting on a large boulder that was at the edge of the forest. She asked in a concerned voice, "Do you really think he'll be able to survive here? There's so much danger."

At that moment, they could see a juvenile acromantula approaching Wimples. Tonks held her breath and was about to draw her wand when Lupin stayed her hand. "Look."

The crippled bunny lashed out quickly and soon they heard the _crunch, crunch_ as his first meal of the forest was ingested. The were-rabbit bounced away, already rejuvenated.

Tonks and Lupin shared a laugh for a moment, but then the Professor turned them to walk toward the lake. Lupin knew he had to lead her to just the right place so that he could make a quick exit. Dumbledore had agreed to leave a small hole open to allow for disapparation. They soon stopped to look at Hogwarts Castle. Sensing that Lupin wanted to tell her something important, Tonks was the first to break the silence.

"I can't thank you enough for helping Wimples when he was dying, but I worry about the debt you're building in your bloodline, Remus. The year has barely begun for you."

"The price was small compared to the debt I already owe this year. He is a small bunny after all."

Tonks nodded. Remus wasn't looking at her as he spoke, but seemed to be staring blindly across the lake. She took his hand and said, "I think I won't fret so much about Wimples now. Gisella sent me a note yesterday to let me know she's settled at her cousin's house, too. I guess I have no worries now other than this war."

Lupin's stiffened at her words, but before he could speak, Tonks continued as if preventing him from speaking could dampen the sudden panic that rose in her. "So I was wondering if we could spend today at Wolf Rock before they send me to chasing Dementors again."

Lupin looked down at their entwined hands and his thumb absently caressed her hand. Now was the time to end this. He took a deep breath and began.

"I won't be going to back to Wolf Rock for a long time, Nymphadora. My mission requires that I leave all of it behind for an indefinite period of time. You can stay at the lighthouse safely for another week. That should give you time to find a new place to live."

Tonks blinked for a moment. She had thought that her stay at Wolf Rock would be--permanent. "I, well, Fleur did say there was a vacancy at her boarding house. And I suppose we can still write--"

"I'll be among the Werewolves and it would be too dangerous for you to try to contact me."

"Werewolves? But you've lived among wizards too long. You'll be in jeopardy, too. I'll--I'll quit my job and go with you."

"No, no you can't do that. You're my ticket in, Nymphadora. You see, it won't be difficult to convince them that I've abandoned living among wizards because of a love affair gone bad. I only regret that your name will be tainted with mine."

"It's just an alibi, right? I'll wait for you, Remus, you know I will."

Lupin shook his head. "Your friendship is precious to me, Nymphadora, but we need to end this for your own sake."

"Remus, don't start talking about--"

"There's nothing to discuss. You promised to abide by my wishes and I ask you to hold to that promise."

Lupin finally turned to look at her and the tears streaming down her face tore at his heart. He was hurting her deeply and he could only hope that she would remember this and come to despise what he had done to her.

"But you love me, Remus, don't you?"

"Sometimes love is not enough," replied Lupin. "And sometimes it's dangerous. Peter targeted you because of me and he turned out to be more powerful than I imagined to have ripped through the wards you had on the candle shop. But you won't be his target now, not if he thinks I'd find pleasure in seeing you hurt. And you won't have to think about whether a proprietor will chase you out of the shop, you won't have to worry about your job or your parents' approval. Don't you see how free you'll be without me?"

"Remus, don't do this."

He gave no response except to bend one last time to kiss her lips. As he walked away, he knew he would forever remember the salty taste of her tears. He walked several paces with steady steps and then disapparated.

"But I don't care about those things, Remus," sobbed Tonks as she fell to her knees once he was gone. "I only care about you."

She bent her head and remained by the lake front until the sun began to set. When she rose, she wiped the tears from her eyes and stood staring into the water for a moment. Even with the fading light she could see her hair was its natural brown color, but she had no interest in changing her appearance now.

It took a week before Tonks realized that she was unable to alter her hair color, let alone use any of her morphing abilities. The emptiness in her heart was only relieved by one new discovery.

"Tonks, the Dementors are ahead. You take the ones to the right," called the Auror in charge of their mission tonight.

The witch knew her duty and actually found an unexpected pleasure in sending the Dementors on their way. She called forth her Patronus and it quickly scattered the dark figures surrounding them. But before the Patronus dissipated, the silvery Wolf seemed to wrap around her like a mantle before it dissolved. And in that moment, Nymphadora Tonks still felt connected to Remus Lupin.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

_Epilogue_

The stairs were creaking as the lanky girl made her way to her bedroom at Wolf Rock. As she passed by the kitchen, she heard her mum calling to her.

"You seem upset, Amelia?"

"Mum? I didn't expect you back so soon." The lanky fifteen year old girl entered the kitchen and sighed. "It's Corvus. That, that crow was trying to treat me like one of those floozies he always has hanging off his arm."

"Oh? Do I need to have a chat with the boy?" asked Tonks.

"No, Mum, I'll deal with my own payback. That self-centered git! Just because he's graduated from Hogwarts he thinks he can kiss me out of an argument."

"Oh, so Corvus has discovered you're a girl, has he?"

"But it's too late. What am I going to do with him gone, Mum? Things have been changing so much this past year. He's a constant annoyance, but I can't stop thinking of him. I don't know what to do." Amelia leaned into her mother who just accepted the girl into her embrace. "I'm just beginning to realize how much he means to me, but all he can think of is traveling around the world this next year. He'll be gone, really gone."

"It will be hard, Amelia, but have some faith. You're young and it might just be a passing fancy. And if things are meant to work out, then just be patient. Sometimes people need to grow before they can really make a relationship work. Believe me, I know what I speak of."

At that moment, the stairs began rumbling as the male horde of Wolf Rock made their appearance. "Boys, slow down." "But Aunt Molly sent--" "Treacle tarts!"

"Looks like they had fun at the Burrow," murmured Tonks.

The twin boys sped into the kitchen with each one holding a box. They paid no attention to the quiet intimacy of the moment between their mother and sister. Girl talk was an alien concept and at the age of twelve, they fully intended to keep it that way.

"Wotcher, Remus. Boys, don't spill the milk."

Remus Lupin, however, only needed to exchange a glance with his wife to know they had disturbed a moment. He dropped a quick kiss on her forehead and patted his daughter on the shoulder before herding his sons out the door again. "Let's go back up to the parlor and leave the women to their tea."

Tonks voiced a silent thank you and turned her attention back to Amelia. "Now there's the secret to any man's heart. Treacle tarts."

Amelia laughed. "Great idea, Mum. I can see it now, rubbing that sticky pastry into Corvus' arrogant face."

Tonks laughed at the image and shook her head. "I'll make sure the boys save one for you then."

"Did Dad ever get on your nerves, Mum? When you first met, I mean?"

"I'd say so. She slapped me silly after she knocked the wind out of me," called Remus from the kitchen door. He had returned for a cup of tea, so he poured it quickly as he added, "Then there was that bowl of peas she dumped on my head.

"Oh, Merlin, you hate peas, Dad." Amelia was laughing outright now.

"I recommend you stick with the treacle tart," said Tonks.

"Or a scone," said Remus as he raised his cup of tea in salute before exiting.

Amelia turned to her mother for one last question. "So did you and Dad ever have to spend a year apart?"

The memories of that dark year had diminished with the happy times, but Tonks just smiled at her daughter as she said, "That, my dear, is a story for another time."

**The End of Nymph vs Wolf**

Minor Edits

Author Notes:  
It's DONE!!!! I can't begin to tell you how difficult this last chapter was to write, so I hope you found it emotional, but hopeful. Thanks for reading. No reviews are necessary, but are always appreciated.

The dates are in part from the HP lexicon, but even theirs were approximations, so I took liberties.

I hope this helps fill in things like why Fred and George didn't have to face any charges for their escapade. And I really liked the idea of Lupin working in their joke shop, sort of a legacy of the Marauders.

Tonks' estrangement from her parents over Lupin was to provide background for why she turns to Molly for solace in Book 6 and why she's spending Christmas alone.

I wanted to explain how Sirius came to write a will and why Lupin gained nothing from it. Also, it provides an explanation for why Kingsley and Moody were there with Lupin and Tonks. I have no basis for Sirius/Emmeline, but it was something that worked in my story because I couldn't let Sirius go without having some part of him left behind. And yes, the Corvus in the epilogue is Sirius' son. And yes, Amelia and Corvus are cousins, but again those matches were not uncommon the HP world.

I also wanted to explain why Tonks and Lupin seemed happy and reassuring to Harry when he got off the Hogwarts Express only to find things changing quickly a few weeks later.

As for Wimples, I have been threatened with being flamed ;-) if I sacrificed the critter, so out of fear and affection, I removed him from the story without having to kill off the character. And I can always bring him in on occasion for stories in Book 6 since he was released into the Forbidden Forest.

Now, I know that Tonks and Lupin will have a meeting at the Burrow soon, and a great tempest awaits them on that one, but I hope I've set up events for Book 6 in a plausible manner.

I'll be taking several months off before tackling Book 6, so have a good spring. I'll do a few Mature missing chapters to be posted in a separate story as I can until summer starts, then hope to be back with a new story. Again, thanks.


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